


Of Bites and Barmaids

by ZeusPeanut



Category: True Blood
Genre: F/M, Original Character(s), POV Original Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-03
Updated: 2016-07-30
Packaged: 2018-03-28 18:53:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 91,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3865933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZeusPeanut/pseuds/ZeusPeanut
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alyssa Bennett, bartender/ photographer, and her sister are just trying to keep their heads above water. Godric just wants to say his goodbyes to his child but is intrigued by the pretty new bartender at Fangtasia and the powers she doesn't seem to realize that she has. Will it be enough to keep Godric from fufilling his plans? And can Alyssa navigate the dangerous world of vampires while trying to figure out who she truly is?<br/>AU GodricxOC, EricxSookie, rated mature for later scenes and some adult subject matter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The night had been going as well as it usually did on a Thursday night. Tips were good and all of the stools surrounding the bar were full. Ashley, the newest bartender was working with me and despite her lack of experience, she had just finished bartending training and she was a good communicator. I enjoyed working with her.  
“What can I get you hun?” I asked, smiling at a young man in a dress shirt and suspenders.  
He smiled politely back at me and thought for a moment “A rum and coke and a tom Collins.”  
“Sure thing!” I nodded, grabbing the ingredients to mix the two drinks. When I was finished I slid the glasses across the bar top and gave him the total. He passed me a couple bills, leaving me with a decent amount left for a tip and walked off with his drinks. I made change and slid the tip into my back pocket with the others.  
“Hey sweetie, can I get a drink or what?” a man called down the bar, his tone snarky.  
I glanced over and noticed Ashley was only a couple seats down, her face flushed red as she fumbled with the drink she was making. I glanced around at my end of the bar and decided that the customers around me were pretty well taken care of and made my way over to him. I was pretty well used to customers like him but I could see how much he was bothering Ashley.  
“What can I get you hun?” I asked, offering him a smile.  
He sneered at me, dark eyes squinting down his long nose angrily. He was fairly attractive, if you didn’t take into account his rotten personality. Which I did. “Service! Finally. I was beginning to think I would have to throw money to get some attention” He laughed without humor.  
“Sorry ‘bout the wait, we’re doing the best we can. What would you like to drink?” I asked again, hoping to get his drink order done with.  
“Well it’s the worst service I’ve had at this place. It’s really gone downhill. Seems like they’re just letting any passably pretty girl behind the bar nowadays” He huffed.  
I bit my tongue to keep from saying something rude to him and forced a pleasant smile back onto my face. “Well I’ll take that as almost a compliment. Can I get you something?” I prompted, raising my eyebrows.  
The man rolled his eyes and puffed his cheeks out. “I’ll just get a beer. A Guinness.”  
“Coming right up!” I nodded and grabbed a glass from under the counter and moved down to the beer well. Drink poured, I placed the glass down on a coaster in front of him and told him the cost.  
He scowled as if he thought it was too much and fussed around in his pockets for a moment before handing me exact change and walking off. Just glad to be rid of him I shrugged and put the money in the till before slipping past Ashley to the other side of the bar. 

I finally called last call and sped through the last of the drink orders. As the last of the customers finally filed out, Ashley leaned back against the bar with a sigh and scrubbed her hand down her face.  
“What a night. I am absolutely beat” she groaned.  
I nodded in agreement “but at least tonight was a decent tip night. How did you do?”  
We went about our usual routine of balancing the tills, totaling our tips and tidying up the bar. As it was, it was nearly four by the time I walked out the back door.  
“Do you want a ride home Alyssa?” Ashley hesitated by the door to her boyfriend’s car.  
I shook my head and waved her off “I’m only a couple blocks down. I don’t mind the walk” I assured her.  
Ashley pursed her lips, she really didn’t like the thought of me walking home alone in the middle of the night. But I had walked home almost every night since I had started at the bar two years ago. As it was, I wasn’t too concerned. We were in a relatively good neighborhood and I was careful anyway. I could see from the look on his face through the windshield that Ashley’s boyfriend didn’t like the idea either and it made me like him even more. He treated Ashley well and she was such a sweet girl so I was glad she had someone looking after her. 

The night air was chilly even though it was late June and we had been having beautiful weather the past couple days. I pulled my coat around me a bit tighter and crossed my arms. My feet ached, I would be glad to get home and go to sleep.  
My apartment was small but I thought it was fairly well decorated. We had put lots of effort since we had moved in into making it look like a home for my sister and me.  
We had been on our own for the past several years. Long before I started working at the bar. Long before we should have been on our own. But we had made it work and although we didn’t always get along I knew there wasn’t much of anything we wouldn’t do for each other. It had been shortly after I had gotten this job that we had moved to this neighborhood. It was much closer to Evan’s school and my work and in a better neighborhood so we didn’t have to worry so much about being in the streets late at night.  
Our combined efforts had resulted in a slightly eclectic but comfortable living room, a well-furnished kitchen since we both loved to cook though we seldom had the money to buy the types of food we really wanted to, and a cute dining room set we had found at a yard sale. They had been using it as a garden table but some spray paint and a couple of cushions had done a lot to brighten it and our apartment.  
I stumbled into my bedroom, at the far end of the apartment and stripped out of my work clothes like a zombie. Minutes later I was curled up under the thick sheets and fast asleep. 

The sound of Evan getting ready to leave in the morning woke me up and I groaned as I buried my face in the pillow. I had only been asleep for three hours and I desperately needed more. Especially if I wanted to be able to get the last bit of editing done for a client and work at the bar again tonight.  
Thankfully it didn’t take her long to leave the apartment and go to school. She was such an early bird that even as a kid she hadn’t slept in when she was on vacation. I on the other hand slept well into the afternoon when given the chance. I sighed happily as I heard her lock the door behind her and sunk back into sleep.  
Several hours later I forced myself to get out of bed and made a very late breakfast. It was nearly two by the time I pulled out my laptop and tablet and started to get to work. No appointments on a Friday was a rarity that I was always thankful for. No one wanted a bleary eyed photographer stumbling around.  
The alarm going off on my phone broke my concentration some time later and I started getting ready for work. My hair, an unruly black mass as usual, got pulled up into a ponytail for the night and I slipped into the familiar work clothes; a low cut t-shirt with the bar named across the chest and black booty shorts.  
My long coat brushed against my knees as I walked down the stairs of the apartment building and made my way to work.  
It was already busy by the time I got into work so I quickly hung my coat up and stashed my purse in a locker before clocking in for the night.  
“Alyssa! Can I talk to you for a minute?” Jerry, the bar manager called from the office.  
I cast a look out to where I could see the edge of the bar, crowded with people and sighed. I needed to get out there, Jerry knew how busy it was. Why couldn’t this wait until the end of the night? A heavy feeling sank into the pit of my stomach as I forced a smile onto my face and changed direction to walk into the office.  
Jerry was an older man, perhaps in his late forties. His hair was thinning and turning grey and he had a weathered look about him. Despite being the bar manager he had never been overbearing or bossy with us and it meant that all of his staff loved him. He did his best for us so we did the same for him. But the guilt ridden look on his face had me biting my lip and fidgeting with the edge of my shirt.  
“What’s going on Jerry?” I asked, my voice betraying how nervous I was.  
Jerry sighed and pushed a hand through his hair. He motioned to the seat across from him weakly “sit down?”  
I did as he asked though I felt far too fidgety and nervous to really sit still.  
“I’m really sorry, Alyssa but I have to let you go. If it was my decision you’d be our head bartender but they want certified bartenders and you don’t have the training. It just came down from head office this morning” Jerry broke the news to me; his expression looked like he had been the one to be let go.  
My eyes widened and filled with tears. I blink hastily and looked down. I would not cry about this. “I’ll go get the training Jerry, I promise. I’ll even pay for it if that’s the problem” I offered though I didn’t know how I was going to manage to do that.  
Between Evan’s work at the grocery store, and my work here we could just pay rent. Our photography business helped with our other bills but it was the tips here that usually bought our groceries. Without this job I didn’t know what we were going to do next month for rent.  
Jerry nodded sadly “I know, that’s what I told them, but they already have someone lined up. They’re coming in for training on Sunday. I am so sorry Alyssa. But look, I’m not firing you on the spot. You have two weeks and I’ll give you a reference if you need it and I’ll keep my ears open for anybody looking for a bartender ok?” Jerry offered.  
I didn’t know what to do. I would need to find a new job of course. But everyone wanted a certified bartender. Or, all the nice bars like here did. But I couldn’t afford to take the training. Especially now that I didn’t have a job. I could find a job in another field, but it would mean not being able to take as many photo shoot appointments if I had to work days. “Thanks Jerry. I should…I should get to work” I mumbled, standing up. Even as I said it I was making a mental list of all the bars in the area that I could apply at, hoping one of them would be hiring.  
“Alyssa, take the night off. Paid. You have a bunch of vacation days saved up so use one tonight ok?” Jerry offered, a sad smile on his face.  
I didn’t want to go home but I did need to get to work on shaping up my resume and taking a look at places to apply. I was probably too out of sorts to be of much use working behind the bar anyway. So I nodded, thanked Jerry and left.  
I made it home in record time and started to work on my resume.  
A knock at my bedroom door made me look up from my computer screen. Evan poked her head in with a confused expression on her face.  
“I thought you worked tonight?” Evan questioned, pale green eyes that were just like our mothers filled with concern.  
I had been dreading having to tell Evan what had happened, hoping I could put it off until tomorrow at least. “I did. But…uhm…. I got let go. I’m gonna find another job, don’t worry! And I’ve still got two weeks at the bar. I promise we’re going to be ok and you don’t have to worry about it” I told her though I wasn’t sure at all that we would be ok, who knew how long it would take me to find another job.  
Evan’s shoulder’s dropped and her mouth popped open, “how could they fire you?” she demanded “you’re the best bartender they have! I’m so sorry Ally,” Evan sat on the edge of my bed and hugged me, her chin resting on my shoulder.  
I hugged her back, my arms easily wrapping around her tiny ribcage. We sat like that for a moment before she let me go and squared her shoulders. We spent the night making a list of places I could apply over the next couple of days. Then we looked over what money we had and budgeted for the next couple of weeks.  
Evan suggested putting in a movie so I popped popcorn and we spend the night curled up together on the couch. 

The next day I had a photo shoot appointment and afterwards spent my evening dropping off resumes to restaurants and pubs around Shreveport. When it started to get dark out I made my way to the various clubs in the area. My last stop was one that made me more nervous than anywhere else I had applied. Shreveport had a fairly large vampire population and I had served quite a few at the bar over the past couple years but I hadn’t interacted much with them.  
It opened as soon as it was dark enough for vampires to be awake, but like most clubs it wasn’t busy until it got much later. So now was a good time for me to go in, I figured. they wouldn’t be too busy to deal with me, hopefully, and with luck the bar manager would be milling about getting ready for the Saturday crowd.  
A tall, imposing woman with long straight blond hair stood at the door, an outfit made of almost entirely black leather and lace barely covering her body. I almost turned around and left at the sight of her.  
“ID?” She questioned, her tone beyond bored.  
I fished it out of my pocket and handed it to her. She glanced at it quickly and handed it back to me, waving me in.  
The bar looked like everything I had expected and feared it would. There was hardly anyone there, which I had also expected, only a few people milling around the bar. I made my way over and waited to catch the attention of the bartender.  
“Hi there” a sweet voice greeted beside me.  
I turned to see a blond woman with a friendly smile on her face looking at me. Her blond hair was lighter than the woman at the door’s and was pulled back into a high ponytail. She stood out in the dark bar and I wondered that I hadn’t noticed her the minute I walked it. The flowery sundress she wore contrasted with the reds and blacks of everyone else in the bar.  
“Hi” I smiled back politely. I wondered idly if she was a vampire or human. Stereotypical as it was, I decided she was probably human, she was so full of sunshine it was hard to picture her being a vampire.  
“My name is Sookie, Sookie Stackhouse. You looking’ to apply here?” She inquired, the same polite smile on her face.  
I flushed, it must have been obvious that I was looking for a job for her to assume that that was why I was here. “Nice to meet you, I’m Alyssa. Is it that obvious?” I asked, biting my lip self-consciously.  
Sookie looked embarrassed and her smile faltered for a moment before coming back full force “No, no. Don’t worry I just have a knack for reading people ‘s’all. You’re going to want to give your resume to Eric, he runs the bar” Sookie suggested kindly.  
“Great, thank you. Is he here tonight? Could you point me in the right direction?”  
Sookie nodded and slid off of her bar stool “Sure thing! So why do you want to work here, anyway?” her tone wasn’t judgmental, just curious, as I followed her through the club and down a hall at the end of the bar.  
“Honestly? I got let go at my other job and I really need a new one as soon as I can. I like bartending and I know I’m good at it. Do you think Eric is hiring?” I asked her, thinking of Evan. I was just thankful that rent had just come out so I still had some time before we really needed to panic. Most of the other bars I had been to hadn’t been looking. Summer had already started and most places had picked up the extra staff they would need for the busy season. We passed the bathrooms and Sookie paused outside of a big steel door.  
“Bartenders come and go here like you wouldn’t believe. Not that it’s a bad place but a lot of the vampires that work here end up getting into trouble and the humans are usually just ‘fangbangers’ I guess that just want to find a vampire to sleep with” Sookie shrugged and knocked on the door. “Eric, can I come in?” She called through the door, nearly having to shout.  
“Go away Sookie. I’m busy” a deep voice came through muffled by what I assumed was a ridiculously thick door.  
Sookie huffed and pounded on the door again “Eric, this is important!”  
I could barely hear him cursing on the other side of the door. A moment later it swung open and was filled with a very tall man.  
He was well over six feet tall, lean and muscled. He was gorgeous and he knew it if the way he smirked down at us was anything to go by. His blond hair was mussed up and I vaguely wondered if everyone around here was blond.  
“Oh. You brought a friend. Well isn’t this a lovely surprise. You should have mentioned you brought me a friend” Eric purred at Sookie, eyes flicking between us like a cat’s.  
Sookie huffed and cocked her hip impatiently at him “No Eric. This is Alyssa. She wants to work here” Sookie explained.  
Eric looked me over, considering “I could think of a job to give her.”  
“Ugh, don’t be a creep” Sookie scoffed.  
I managed not to blush through sheer force of will. He certainly was attractive, I don’t think anyone could deny that. But I wasn’t here to hook up with someone. I needed a job and if there was even a slight chance that I could get one here I was determined to get it.  
“Hi, like Sookie said, I’m a bartender. I have two years of experience working in a bar. I can work full time if that’s what you’re looking for and I’m a very quick learner. I can give you references, I don’t have a record at all and I live close by so I won’t ever be late for work,” I assured him.  
Eric raised an eyebrow at me and pursed his lips. He didn’t look overly impressed with me and my heart sank.  
“Isn’t this what you pay me to do? Help you decide who you should and shouldn’t hire Eric?” Sookie prompted.  
Eric narrowed his eyes at her “Yes, when I ask. Did I ask you to find me a new bartender?” Eric challenged her.  
I felt awkward standing there, watching them argue with each other. It seemed familiar to them and I decided they must have known each other for quite a while, it seemed like there was a bit of sexual tension between them. Eric leaned down slightly as he talked and Sookie staring up at him, chin jutted out defiantly but she was tilted slightly towards him.  
Sookie scoffed at him “Just interview her at least. Atticus might be able to go vampire speed, but you need another bartender Eric” Sookie asserted.  
Eric glowered down at her for several minutes and I started to wonder if I should just leave them to it, Eric clearly wasn’t overly interested in hiring me. But I thought Sookie was probably right. I had noticed coming in that there was only the one man behind the bar, despite it stretching half the length of the club. There was no way he could effectively cover that much space vampire or not.  
“Fine. Come in Alyssa” Eric conceded, stepping back to allow us into the office.


	2. Chapter 2

“Fine. Come in Alyssa” Eric conceded, stepping back to allow us into the office. 

The interview had gone well and I was giddy with excitement as I made my way back into the main area of the club. He had told me to come back the following night at sun down for ‘skill testing’. I was fairly confident that I would pass his test. I considered ordering a drink while I was there but decided against it. It would be better to get home and make sure I was ready for tomorrow. 

I met a small family in a park just outside of town. We had decided on the location when they had initially booked the appointment. The parents didn’t look much older than I was, perhaps 25 or 26. Their two children were under five, a boy and a girl. They looked like a picturesque family, all smiles as they waited for my on a park bench.   
I introduced myself and started down the list of familiar questions that I asked at every appointment. Some of them we had covered briefly through the series of emails we had exchanged but I always found I could get a better feel for what they were looking for in person. When I had my ideas sorted and had an image in mind of what I wanted, I directed the family into a series of poses.   
“Just a little bit closer together, this is the last set” I instructed.   
The family moved accordingly and I snapped several pictures, changing the angle slightly with each one. Finished, I stood and approached them “We’re all finished here. There are some great pictures here. I’ll take them home and edit them a bit like we had discussed and then bring you the copy of the cd in about a week” I informed them, letting my camera drop to hang around my chest.   
“Perfect. And here is what we owe you.” The father, Jason, held out a small envelope to me.   
I flipped it open and quickly counted to make sure I had the right amount as I said “Thanks, you guys enjoy the nice day!”   
The family said their goodbyes and walked back the way they had originally came. 

Evan had supper ready by the time I got home and we sat down at the little table together.   
“Are you all ready for tonight?” Evan asked before taking a bite of a meatball.   
I finished chewing the food in my mouth and shrugged “I think so. I wish there was something I could do to prepare but it’s not like I can study at all.”  
Evan nodded “yeah, I guess you’re right. Do you know what you’re going to wear at least?”   
I didn’t. But I took a minute to think about it. I should probably dress like the employees, so that Eric could see how I would look behind the bar. But not too skimpy or I might give the wrong idea. I wanted to look professional- but not too professional I reminded myself. I wasn’t interviewing for an office job or something. I hummed as I thought “No. not really” I finally admitted “a black skirt and maybe a red t-shirt. That’s pretty much the color scheme of the entire place.”  
Evan thought about it for a second before agreeing that it was probably a good choice. “You could wear your leather jacket there as well, keep up that Goth look. Are you leaving your hair down?” she checked.   
We continued to discuss what I should wear and things I should ask Eric as well as questions he might ask me until I realized it was close to sun down.   
I got dressed quickly and spent a bit of extra time with my makeup than I usually did. The red shirt showed off my cleavage nicely and the tight black skirt complimented my hips and ass. Heels followed suit and my hair tumbled down my shoulders. The black leather jacket had sat in the back of my closet for the longest time. Evan had convinced me to get it, spur of the moment at a thrift store. I was glad I did because it certainly completed the outfit. Evan wished me luck as I left, reminding me to not be too nervous not. I tried to keep telling myself that as I made my way to Fangtasia which was a couple blocks in the opposite direction I was used to going. The sun was just dipping below the top of the building as I reached Fangtasia. I took a moment and leaned against the side of the building in an attempt to compose myself. Several deep breaths did little to dispel the knot of anxiety that had formed in my chest. A strand of hair was blown into my face by the wind and I pushed a hand through my hair with a huff. That was why I rarely let my hair down, the wind or simply moving tended to push it into my face where it would get into my eyes or mouth and be a general nuisance. I had considered on more than one occasion cutting it all off and trying out one of those cute pixie cuts that a lot of girls were wearing lately but I didn’t think I could pull it off. Not to mention how long it would take to get my hair to grow back if it didn’t.   
Shaking my head, I forced myself to focus on the task at hand. I pushed off the side of the building and made my way towards the door. Eric, Sookie, the blond from the other night, and two other people were sitting on plush chairs in the corner that I hadn’t noticed my first time here. They all looked up when I came in, eyes trained on me as I walked nervously over to them.   
One of the people I didn’t recognize was an older looking woman who also looked like she was on drugs or had been at some point in her life. Her artificially blond hair, her makeup was caked on, in addition to the way she stumbled in her too high heels and short skirt gave me the impression she wanted to look ‘easy’ along with looking younger than she was.   
The man sitting with Eric was a whole different story. He had short dark hair that matched his dark eyes. Those eyes bore into me as I stood in front of them. He was dressed in light clothing both in terms of the colors which were a pale grey on his shirt and tan pants, but they were also made of lighter fabric. They were airy in a way that made me think he would stay cool in the sun despite the long sleeves- if he could go out in the sun that is. He had a relaxed, quiet air about him that was so different from the charged energy of Eric who sat beside him.   
“Hi! You must be Alyssa! I’m Ginger!” The fake blond introduced holding out a hand with long fake nails.   
“Nice to meet you Ginger” I smiled back at her. She motioned me to a chair in the small cluster the others were occupying.   
I sank into the soft fabric of the chair and took a deep breath. I had expected to only be dealing with Eric and Sookie for the training, not a small audience. But this was good, I reminded myself, I did well under pressure.  
“Ginger is our day human. She readies the bar before we rise for the night and takes care of the building. This is my child, Pamela. I believe you have already met” Eric motioned to the blond who had been at the door the previous night.   
Her tone was very bored as she corrected him “Pam.”  
I nodded “nice to actually meet you Pam.”  
She scoffed and went about cleaning her nails. Pam seemed like she was generally in a bad mood. I had gotten the same impression when she had checked my ID.   
Eric continued introductions motioning to the man to his side “and this is my maker, Godric.”  
Godric nodded to me in a formal manner. It made some small part of me feel like I was supposed to curtsy to him. Instead I smiled politely, “it’s a pleasure to meet you.”   
My exposure to vampires was minimal but I had a vague idea that a ‘maker’ was like a parent figure. It obviously meant they were the vampire that made the other vampire but it had always seemed like it was more complicated than turning someone. The three sitting before me seemed almost like a family but not at the same time. I wasn’t sure what to make of it.   
“So, Ms. Bennett. You have two years’ experience bartending?” Eric asked, glancing down at what I realized was my resume.   
I nodded “yes, I was a bartender there up until recently.”  
“Why aren’t you now?” Pam questioned, not looking up from her nails.   
I flushed, looking down at my lap “I was let go because I don’t have any formal training. All my knowledge is from experience.” This had been what I was worried about, trying to get a job after they realized I hadn’t taken a course.   
Pam scoffed, her eyebrows raised incredulously. If it had been up to her I knew that would have been the end of the interview.   
Eric considered his next move for a moment. “Have you served vampires before?”   
I nodded again “occasionally yes, there were a couple that came in on a regular basis.”  
“So you don’t have much experience” Pam huffed, glancing up at Eric with her eyebrows raised.   
I thought for a moment about how to respond “I would imagine that it isn’t too different from serving any other patron, aside from what they drink. But I am a quick learner.”  
Eric rose from his seat and motioned to the bar “we will see, wont we?”   
And thus the skill testing began. Eric gave me a moment to look around and figure out where things were kept. It was a similar layout to the bar I was used to so it wasn’t long before they started firing drink orders at me. As I was mixing Eric and Pam asked me about different drinks and policies along with standard interview questions.   
“A vampire comes up to order a drink and asks if you are on the menu,” Eric stated, sipping blood from a wine glass.   
I placed the last of the drinks he had asked me to make onto the bar and shook my head “no, I’m not.”  
Eric nodded, pleased with my answer “I don’t care what you do on your free time. And if you want to fuck someone, do it when your shift is over. If you want to be on my menu, on the other hand…” Eric trailed off with a smirk.   
Ignoring his last remark I beamed at him “does that mean I have the job?”   
Sookie r  
Eric’s eyes flicked to Sookie, who nodded encouragingly at him, Pam who glared at him as if she was daring him to say yes, and Godric’s passive expression. With a shrug Eric turned back to me. “You start Thursday night. Pam will go over the dress code with you while you clean up. I will return with paperwork for you to sign” Eric instructed.   
“Thank you!” I exclaimed happily.   
Eric didn’t respond, just turned on his heel and walked back towards his office.   
Pam acted as put out as she could as she explained the dress code which was pretty simple. Dark colors, shorts or a skirt and t-shirts/camisoles or midriff tops. Heels were also expected.   
I nodded as she explained, filing away the information. I would most likely have to pick up some new clothes with the tip money I had saved. Now that I didn’t have to worry too much about a paycheck it wouldn’t be hard to buy a couple of new clothes.   
I was placing the bottles back in their proper location when Eric’s voice directly behind me made me jump. I was so surprised that I stumbled back, knocking two bottles off of the ledge. I cursed and went for the closest one, accepting in an instance that one was going to break. Eric went for the same one, and his instincts being much faster than mine, snatched it out of the air and returned it to its place.   
My face was beet red with mortification “I am so sorry. I’m not usually this clumsy, I swear! I can’t believe I did that. Thank god you are fast! I can’t believe you grabbed both bottles. I’ll understand if you don’t want to hire me” I spewed, not meeting his eyes.   
Eric was silent for several minutes and I peeked up at him. He was staring down at me with a perplexed expression. I glanced around the room expecting Pam to be glaring at me but she too looked startled and confused.   
“I only caught the one bottle Alyssa” Eric commented, tapping the bottle I had seen him grab.   
My eyebrows came together in confusion. I was sure I had knocked two off of the shelf. I had felt my elbow hit one as I stumbled back at the same time my hand flicked the one I had been putting back. “I thought I knocked two off” I admitted shyly. “I’ll be more careful in the future Eric, I promise.”   
Eric’s expression turned stern “I expect you to be. Now go sign these. You can use the table over there” he pushed the stack of papers into my hand along with a pen and motioned back to where we had originally been talking.   
Grateful that my mistake hadn’t meant that I had lost the opportunity I hurried over to the table and skimmed over the paperwork I was signing. It was all fairly standard paperwork for a new job and I didn’t give it much notice. I did notice however that Eric was offering me a full two dollars more than what I had been earning. That had been one thing he hadn’t asked about and I supposed it was because he didn’t think it mattered. Eric would more than likely offer me the same amount despite what I had been earning and it would be up to me to take it or leave it. I certainly wasn’t going to turn down more money. The other paper that caught my attention was a nondisclosure agreement. I wasn’t allowed to discuss in specific terms anything that happened at Fangtasia with anyone other than the three vampires that were present and the other employees. I wondered if Sookie was also considered an employee. That was what it had seemed like.  
I could hear the four of them talking in low tones and wondered if it was about me. I assumed it was, since they were going to trouble to speak quietly. It made sense, I reminded myself, I was a new employee that Eric had only just decided to hire so of course they would be discussing things. There was no reason for me to feel self-conscious.  
When I had finished signing the papers I approached the bar and handed them back to Eric. A moment later I was walking down the street headed towards home. Evan was waiting for me when I got back with a tub of ice cream. She was practically bouncing on the couch while she waited for me to change into more comfortable clothing and dish out ice cream for the both of us.   
I rehashed the entire interview over our bowls of ice cream and Evan filled me in on drama at the grocery store.

My first few shifts at Fangtasia passed smoothly. The other bartender, Atticus, was intimidating and standoffish. He didn’t want anything to do with me and I was more than happy to stay out of his way. Sookie visited often with a brown haired vampire she introduced as Bill, her boyfriend. He seemed a bit odd but I hadn’t gotten much chance to talk with him as I worked. Sookie seemed more than happy with him, at any rate so that counted as a point for him in my books. She was a smart girl and had a way of reading people that seemed to be the reason Eric brought her around.   
I learned that Eric was the sheriff of the area and that meant that all the vampires in Shreveport had to do what he said. Part of his orders were that they had to spend a couple nights a month at the bar to keep up the image of a vampire bar. Some came even when they didn’t have to however, it was an easy spot to pick up humans who wanted to be bitten. Several of them had offered or insisted, depending on the vampire, that I come home with them or even just down the street. Eric didn’t allow any feeding on his property since it was technically against the law.   
Godric seemed to float around the bar though he never ordered something to drink and never took any of the many humans that offered themselves to him. The vampires seemed to treat him with a nervous respect giving him plenty of space which made me wonder what it was about him that made them act like that. Surely just being Eric’s maker couldn’t be the cause. I wondered why he stayed at the club when he seemed so uncomfortable there. He could have just as easily gone anywhere else that he wanted.   
“Hey sweet cheeks” the deep voice of a man down the bar called.   
I sent him a smile and finished making the round of drinks I was on. After collecting their money I walked down to him and leaned on the bar.   
“What’ll it be?” I asked him.   
The man flashed fangs at me and grinned wickedly at me. “You on tap girly? You smell tasty” he leered.   
I wasn’t sure if he meant it as a compliment. No one had ever told me I smelled ‘tasty’ before. “No luck, I’m not on the menu. I can get you a bottle of tru blood or royalty?” I offered instead.   
The man ‘tsk’-ed and shook his head “I was really hoping I could get a bite of you. You sure you aren’t up for a little fun? Or is it the boss? I can wait till you get outta here” he offered with a sly look.   
I shook my head and leaned away from him. “Sorry, no. I’m not going to be your midnight snack. If you would like something else though I would be happy to get it for you.”  
The man huffed in frustration and met my eyes “You want to let me bite you. You will leave the bar and wait in the parking lot for me” he ordered, his voice dropping to a calm tone.   
My eyebrows came together. He really wasn’t taking no for an answer “like I said, sir, I’m not on the menu. If you don’t want to order something, I have other customers.”  
His eyes widened in surprise like he had actually expected his pushing to work on me. His mouth opened and closed several times while he tried to figure out what to say. Finally he slid off of his seat and headed for the exit, glancing back at me every couple of steps. “Weird” I mumbled to myself before shaking the experience off and moving to the next customer. 

By the time Eric told me to go home I was practically falling asleep standing up so I thanked him and got out of there as quickly as I could.   
It was a fairly warm night so I hadn’t bothered to put on my jacket. Instead it was draped over one arm with my purse tucked underneath it. I had only reached the end of the street when a blur came out of nowhere and I was suddenly up against the brick wall of the alley.   
“You little bitch” the vampire from early was pinning me to the wall, fangs out and snarling at me.   
I struggled to get out of his grip but even I knew it was pointless, he was so much stronger than me. “Please just let me go,” I begged him, wondering if he intended to kill me. Drain me was the likely way to go. But there were all kinds of other things that he could do before or during that. If he even intended to kill me. He could just kidnap me, no one would know where to look I was sure. Evan would be the first to look for me but who knew who this vampire was? He could disappear never to be found again.   
“How the fuck did you do that early?” He demanded, shaking me so that my head whacked against the brick wall.   
I shook my head, tears welling up in my eyes “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Just let me go.”  
The vampire snarled at me making me flinch back and start to struggle again “my glamour you dumb bitch. Why didn’t it work on you? What are you?” His fingers dug into my arms painfully hard no doubt leaving bruises.   
“Please” I begged “I don’t know what that is! I promise!”  
He cursed and backhanded me, sending me sprawling into the dirt. I screamed for help and tried to crawl away from him, towards the mouth of the alley but I hadn’t made it two feet before he grabbed my hair and yanked me back. I cried out and clutched at his hand in an attempt at keeping him from tearing my hair out. He yelled at me to shut up and back handed me again. I begged him to stop, tears pouring down my cheeks. Horrified I watched as he brought his hand up to his mouth and licked my blood off. He groaned in satisfaction and pulled me up to my feet.   
“You taste as good as you smell human” he leered pulling me close to him.   
Hand still in my hair he yanked my head to the side to expose my neck. Before I could react he was biting me, sharp teeth ripping into the thin flesh of my neck. I screamed again and tried to get away but his arms were like iron. The hand in my hair loosened and slid down my side to grope at me.  
I was beginning to feel dizzy from the blood loss but tried weakly to fight his hands off. My eyes were fluttering shut and I thought I was probably going to pass out. The sound of my shirt ripping open didn’t surprise me but my eyes opened sluggishly in a final attempt to fight.   
I noticed then, that I was facing the opening of the alleyway and a figure was walking by. I had meant to yell but instead it came out as barely a whisper “please help me.” There was no way for the person to hear me and even if they did there was little they could do to save me. This vampire would probably kill them too.   
But to my surprise the figure stopped. A moment later the vampire attacking me was gone and I crumpled to the ground. My vision was going spotty and everything sounded like it was underwater but I heard a distinct snapping sound and then there was a face hovering over mine. It took me a minute to realize it was Godric kneeling over me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you think! I'd love to hear your opinion.


	3. Chapter 3

My vision was going spotty and everything sounded like it was underwater but I heard a distinct snapping sound and then there was a face hovering over mine. It took me a minute to realize it was Godric kneeling over me. 

“You are safe now little one” he soothed, brushing a hand over the wound on my neck “you have lost a lot of blood but I have stopped the bleeding. I am going to take you back to my child’s business.”   
I couldn’t summon the energy to thank him so I opted for a shallow nod instead. His arms slipped under me and picked me up as if I weighed no more than a small kitten.   
We were inside the club before I registered that he had moved. Godric laid me out on one of the couches with no concern it seemed for the fact that I was probably going to stain the fabric.  
“What the fuck is this?” Pam’s voice snapped, the sound of her heels clicking across the floor as she came over.   
“She was attacked” Godric explained. His voice was so calm and soothing that I felt like going to sleep. He must have noticed because he gently shook me “no, no, little human. You must not sleep.”  
My eyebrows came together and I scowled at him “but I’m so tired” I mumbled to him.   
“Eric!” Pam’s voice yelled, making me flinch.   
Eric’s voice on my other side startled me, though I hardly had the energy to react to it “she’ll need blood if you intend to keep her alive. There is no way she’ll make it to the hospital” Eric observed above me.   
I shook my head which made me feel dizzy again “no. no blood.”  
I couldn’t be bothered to open my eyes as Godric made Pam go get him a glass. I wondered what for but a moment later he was lifting my head up and pressing it against my lips. I made to shake my head again but he spoke before I could “it is just water, little one. Drink and then you can sleep” he instructed.   
I wanted nothing more than to sleep so I agreed and opened my mouth. Whatever he had put in the glass was not water, or if it was it was magical water. It was the most amazing thing I had ever tasted and I had drained the glass before I even realized I had swallowed. The aches and bruises felt as if they didn’t exist anymore. The glass disappeared, presumably Godric had taken it away and a cool hand smoothed down my hair, soothing me into sleep. 

I came to, to see Evan leaning over me. She startled back when she noticed my eyes were opened then flung herself onto me, arms wrapping tightly around my shoulders.   
“Oh you’re ok! Thank god you’re ok!” Evan exclaimed, squeezing my shoulders.   
I blinked in confusion as I tried to remember why she was freaking out so much. The events of the previous night slowly drifted back and I was left feeling sick to my stomach. I lurched out of her grip and ran to the bathroom to throw up. When I was done I padded back into the bedroom and curled up on the bed.   
“How did I get here?” I asked. The last thing I remembered was Godric making me drink something which most definitely wasn’t water but was most likely vampire blood.  
Evan pulled the blankets up around my shoulders “a vampire brought you home…Garric or something? He was all like ‘your sister has been injured’ plopped you on the bed and was gone! I nearly had a heart attack!”   
“Godric” I corrected “he saved me from the vampire that attacked me. I should be dead. I think he tricked me into drinking his blood” I admitted.   
My hand went up to my neck, where there should have been a horrific injury that should have resulted in multiple stitches and a nasty scar. Instead the skin was smooth and unmarked. If nothing else my skin felt softer than before.   
Evan gasped, her hand covering her mouth in shock “isn’t that stuff addictive? There was a girl in my high school who got addicted to V. she dropped out and had to go to the hospital for detox but I think she broke out and ran away” Evan told me.   
I gave her an exasperated look “wow, thanks for the reassurance Evan. That’s great. I’m going to become a drug addict and die.”  
Evan flushed and apologized “I’m sure it won’t happen to you. He wouldn’t give it to you if it would right?”  
I shrugged and looked away from her. I didn’t know. I didn’t think Godric would do something like that but I had hardly spoken to the vampire since I started working at Fangtasia. He was always so quiet and disinterested in what was happening at the club that there hadn’t been much for us to talk about. Would he give me his blood knowing I would get addicted to it? What if it was the only way to save me? That was what Eric had said anyway. The only way I was going to find out was if I went back and asked him.  
“Are you going to go back to work? I’m sure they would let you take some time off. You need to cope with what happened.” It was like Evan could read my mind.   
I didn’t want to go back. The thought of serving vampires and having to walk home past that alleyway again made me feel like I was going to be sick again. But we couldn’t afford for me to take more time off. Not that I really thought Eric would let me anyway. I didn’t have any injuries, in fact I felt healthier than I had in a long time. Besides, I needed to know what was going to happen now that I had had Godric’s blood. I told Evan as much and she frowned at me.   
She put up a fuss as I made myself get out of bed and eat. It was late in the afternoon and though Fangtasia wasn’t open I was going to go back there tonight and talk to the vampires so I would know what I was getting into.   
“I’m going to come with you then” Evan informed me when I told her my plan.   
I shook my head at her “you don’t need to. I’ll take a cab back or something. You can’t come to work with me every night and watch me right? Besides you aren’t even twenty one yet.”  
Evan scoffed at me and planted her hands on her hips “I don’t care if I’m underage. They aren’t open as a club tonight so there isn’t any reason I can’t come in. And I want to know what these people look like so if something does happen I know who to describe to the cops!”  
I sighed and brushed a hand through my hair. She was so stubborn sometimes that there wasn’t a point in arguing with her when she set her mind to something. “Fine. But they weren’t the ones who attacked me. They kept me from dying, remember?”  
Evan shrugged her shoulders as if to say the details didn’t matter. A moment later she took off down the hall to get changed. I rolled my eyes at her back before heading to my room to do the same.   
Since I wasn’t working I wouldn’t have to wear the dark skimpy clothing that made up the uniform. Instead I pulled on an oversized knit sweater that was a similar dark blue to my eyes and a pair of tan jeans. My hair was bouncy and glossy today rather than the half curled mess it usually resembled but I pulled it into a high ponytail nevertheless.   
Evan tried to keep my mind occupied as we walked to Fangtasia and urged me on as my steps faltered when we passed the alley I had been attacked in just that night. It seemed so normal in what was left of the daylight in contrast to the menacing image I had of it in my head.   
Fangtasia was just around the corner and we reached the front door while the sun was just hovering above the rooftops.   
“They won’t be awake yet, will they?” Evan asked when I pounded on the front door.   
I shook my head ‘no’ but hit the door several more times “Ginger! It’s Alyssa. If you’re in there can you let me in? It’s important” I yelled through the door.   
I explained to Evan as we waited that Ginger stayed at Fangtasia through the day to take care of the building and make sure no one disturbed Eric’s rest.   
The door slid open just enough for Ginger to peek an eye out. “Who is she?” Ginger demanded suspiciously.   
“Ginger this is my sister Evan” I introduced.   
Ginger considered us for a second before she flung the door open with a sigh. “Eric isn’t up yet” she noted as we walked in.   
“It’s okay Ginger, we’ll wait for them to get up” I assured her, leading Evan over to one of the couches.   
And so we sat in awkward silence waiting for the vampires to rise. Ginger hovered nervously around us, unsure of how she was supposed to act. Finally we heard a door slamming open and a moment later Godric appeared at the top of the stairs. If he was surprised to see us he didn’t show it. Instead he calmly made his way to where we were sitting and settled into the chair opposite me.   
“How are you feeling today little one?” he asked, eyes flicking over me in concern.   
I shrugged, not sure what to say. Physically I felt good, I had no injuries from last night and I had noticed in the shower that even my scars were faded almost into nonexistence. But I was so shaken mentally that I hardly knew what to do with myself. He made me nervous even though he had been the one to save me. “I’m not dead, so that’s good” I observed instead.   
Godric nodded solemnly “Yes, I am very glad I happened to be nearby.”  
“You gave her your blood right? Or someone’s blood?” Evan demanded, bringing up what I had been too nervous to mention.   
“Yes, you have had my blood” Godric agreed, watching for my reaction.   
I pursed my lips as I thought about how to respond. “You tricked me into drinking it” I accused him.   
“You would have died if he hadn’t. You should be thankful” Eric’s informed me indignantly.  
“My child is right, without my blood you would have been dead in minutes. I do apologize for the way I conducted the affair but it was necessary” Godric assured us.  
Evan shook her head and crossed her arms angrily “So what now? Alyssa gets addicted to V, spirals out of control and gets killed anyway?”   
“Evan” I warned, placing my hand on her arm. It wasn’t that I disagreed with her being angry, I was angry about it but I was alive and we would have to deal with the consequences of what that meant. Getting angry with the vampires in front of us certainly wasn’t the way to go about getting answers.   
“You both have a right to be angry with me. I went against your wishes. But you will not become addicted to vampire blood, little one. Most of my blood will work its way out of your system over the next couple of days. You only drank enough to heal your injuries. The side effects should wear off soon.” Godric assured me.   
I raised an eyebrow at him “what side effects?”  
“A burning desire to jump his bones, not to mention the naughty dreams” Pam interrupted snidely “He’ll know what you’re feeling and where you are. And your hair and skin will be healthier. Say good bye to split ends honey.”  
I flushed but shook my head and mumbled “I didn’t have any dreams.”  
Evan wasn’t appeased with the news “don’t you think that’s a little creepy? And what are you going to do next time Aly works? How are you going to keep her safe? The way I see it, she works for you which puts her at risk, clearly, from other vampires so you should be keeping her safe.”  
Evan glared Eric down, shoulders squared and tense waiting for his response. Eric’s eyebrow raised and he smirked at Evan. “Is that so, human? Who are you and why are you in my bar?”   
Evan raised her chin defiantly “I’m Aly’s sister.”  
Eric hummed in response and I wondered if he was going to bother with answering. Godric watched us curiously, head tilted slightly to the side. I thought it was probably the most expression I had seen on his face and it was kind of cute. I blushed slightly first at the thought and then at the realization that Godric could tell how I was feeling. He didn’t show any sort of reaction though, for which I was grateful.   
“My child will arrange for a car to drive you home at the end of each shift” Godric offered kindly, sharing a look with Eric.   
Eric raised his eyebrow mildly in response and I wondered if he would contradict Godric. They stared each other down for a moment before Eric gave in, something I didn’t think happened often. “Yes. I will make sure you arrive home safely.”   
I shook my head, thinking it wasn’t Eric’s responsibility to arrange my way home. I told them as much and tried to reassure Evan that I would call a cab every night but Godric put an end to my protests and insisted that it was no big trouble for them to arrange. 

Several nights later I woke up covered in sweat, my chest heaving under the thin night gown. I peeled the sheets off of me and reached for the glass of water I kept beside my bed. It didn’t do much to calm me down and I flopped back against the bed in exasperation. The dream had been extremely intense. The most intense in the series of dreams I had been having since taking Godric’s blood. 

Fangtasia was empty save for Godric and myself. Daylight streamed through the open door causing me to panic briefly. Godric didn’t seem bothered by it however as he stepped easily through the patch of sunshine that crept across the floor.   
“What’s going on Godric?” I questioned, slipping off the barstool I had been perched on.   
Godric’s lips, curved like a bow, smiled contently at me, his dark eyes twinkling as he approached me “hush, my Alyssa. All is well” he murmured, reaching a hand up to stroke the side of my face.   
His touch, cool from the lack of heat he put out, set my skin on fire and I leaned into his touch unintentionally.   
His hand found its way to the back of my neck, his fingers threading through my hair which hung in loose waves around my face. He drew me close to him as his other hand found my hip. Godric’s lips met mine in what started out to be a gentle kiss but quickly turned more heated. I groaned against his lips and clutched at his shoulders in need. My back hit the bar top and my body pressed flush against Godric’s solid form. I could feel the lines of his muscles against the softness of my own skin. My hands twisted in his shirt, trying to bring him closer to me. Long fingers tugged at the hair at the base of my neck and his tongue traced along my lips urging them apart.   
He tasted amazing, an echo of the way his blood had tasted. Our tongues met as his hand found its way under my shirt. Cool fingers danced across my stomach and over my breasts. The hand in my hair slipped down to meet the other and pushed my shirt up. I easily pulled it over my head and dropped my bra as well after he quickly flicked it open. Godric massaged my breasts and circled my nipples making me moan and arch up into his hands. His mouth left mine to trail along my neck biting gently at the thin flesh without breaking the skin. Soon his mouth replaced one of his hands. I brought my hand up to grip his hair in the hopes of keeping him there and the other pulled the hem of his shirt up. I traced along the edge of his tattoos and pulled his mouth back up to mine. The feel of his skin against mine felt amazing and I couldn’t get enough of it. I quickly undid the buttons of his pants and let them drop to his feet. He was more than ready for me I noticed as I caressed his length. Godric bit back a moan and pushed into my hand.   
“Alyssa” he gasped, digging his fingers into my hips.   
My pants were gone before I had time to realize what he was doing and his fingers found their way between my legs. My panties were pushed aside and he stroked at the wetness underneath eliciting moans and curses from me. Unable to wait any longer, Godric spun me around and placed himself between my legs. I bent over to press against the bar top in order to give him better access. Godric took advantage and pushed into me. I gasped at the feeling of him filling me and squirmed against him as he paused to let me adjust.   
Godric groaned and began to move, pounding into me almost roughly. My body felt like it was on fire, I could feel him all over me and couldn’t get enough of the feeling. I couldn’t form a sentence, all I could do was gasp his name and beg him not to stop. I could feel my orgasm building as he moved faster and faster. Godric’s hands gripped my waist to pull me back into him, our skin slapping against each other. His mouth found my neck and I could feel his fangs scrape against the sensitive skin by way of asking permission. I moaned a yes and Godric’s fangs sliced into my skin. 

I was glad, thinking about the dreams that I wouldn’t have to face the vampires for a few more days. There was no way I could face Godric, let alone carry on a conversation with him when all I could think about lately was him bending me over the nearest object and fucking my brains out.   
Knowing I was too worked up to get back to sleep immediately I decided a cold shower would snap me out of it. It was nearly daylight anyway so I considered just staying awake and going to bed earlier the following night to make up for it. I was just pulling myself out of bed when my phone started buzzing on my nightstand. It was an unfamiliar number and so early in the morning that I almost didn’t answer but curiosity won out and I picked up my phone.   
“Hello?” I answered, my voice still heavy with sleep.   
“Alyssa. Godric has left and Eric is flipping out. Not that I thought you would be of any help but…. Well, a girls got to try.” Pam’s voice snapped over the phone. Perhaps I still wasn’t fully awake but I couldn’t fathom why Pam would call me in a panic because Godric had gone out.   
I scrubbed a hand across my face in an attempt to wake myself up “why is that a problem Pam? He never goes anywhere on his own?”   
Pam swore over the phone, calling me several impolite names “Not this fucking close to sunrise, human. We suspected when he came, but Eric denied it as much as he could. Godric has gone to meet the sun and we have to stop him, Alyssa” the panic in her voice shocked me. It almost sounded like she was close to tears.   
Understanding dawned on me and I thought hard. Where would Godric go if he wanted to meet the sun. Something nagged at the back of my mind, a conversation that Godric and I had had before Fangtasia had become busy one night. But what had he said?  
“Do you miss anything about being human Godric?” I had asked curiously while I idly cleaned a glass.   
Godric had looked mildly uncomfortable with the question but had answered anyway “Yes, I miss many things, little one. The sunrise was one of many things I did not fully appreciate as a human. So often humans sleep through it now, but as a vampire I have been in constant anticipation of it without ever seeing it” Godric had told me.  
I had said something about Evan and I watching the sunrise on New Years Day last year but not being able to find a place in Shreveport with a good view. Godric had mentioned a place just outside of town that he thought would offer a spectacular view of the sunrise. He had said he had gone out several nights to just watch the sky begin to lighten as the day started before he had been forced to find shelter for the day.   
“Pam. I think I know where he is” I exclaimed.   
“Well don’t keep it to yourself” Pam snarled.   
I shook my head even though she couldn’t see “No, no. If I tell you, you two will just go and I’ll be sitting here worrying my ass off all day. No, come and get me and I’ll direct you.”  
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Pam demanded. When I made it clear how entirely serious I was Pam cursed over the line and told me she would be there in a minute. The line went dead and I jumped to action, throwing on the first pair of pants I could find and a jacket. I stuffed my phone into my pocket and ran to the front door just as someone started pounding on it.


	4. Chapter 4

I stuffed my phone into my pocket and ran to the front door just as someone started pounding on it.

Pam was tapping her foot impatiently even though it had only taken me a second to open the door. Eric stood behind her, his figure menacing as he glared down at me. “Where is he Alyssa?” He growled.   
Instead of answering, I pushed past them and marched down the hall “Let’s go” I called over my shoulder.   
Eric was looming in front of me before I could blink. “I do not have time for these games, human. Tell me where Godric is!” He growled.   
I shook my head at him “Not unless I’m going with you.”  
Eric’s eyes pinned mine with his glare “You will tell me where I can find Godric then you will return to your apartment without another comment” Eric ordered.   
When I crossed my arms and glared back at him, Eric looked confused and then even more angry. At vampire speed he picked me up and threw me over his shoulder.  
“I don’t have fucking time to play games with you. Where am I going?” he growled, suddenly running at vampire speed.   
I thought I was going to be sick, bouncing over his shoulder like I was. But I pulled myself together and gave Eric the same directions Godric had given me. Though everything was a blur around me, I could see the sky. It was getting lighter out as it got closer to sunrise. I didn’t know how much time we had left but I did know it wasn’t very much.   
Eric dropped me so suddenly that I was left breathless and thought I would probably have a bruise on my rear. We were on the top of a building on the outskirts of town. It sat atop a small hill that gave us a view of the rest of the city and the horizon. Eric strode away from me and towards the figure standing at the end of the roof that would bring him closest to the rising sun. Godric had his back to us, though he no doubt knew we were there. I wondered if he was scared or maybe excited. I decided it was probably a mixture of both.   
“Godric, what are you doing?” Eric demanded, stopping a few feet behind his maker.   
Godric turned his head to see his child and gave him a sad smile “two thousand years is enough Eric” he replied.   
“I can’t accept this, it’s insanity” Eric countered.   
Godric turned away from him “our existence is insanity, we do not belong here.”  
Eric fumed, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. “But we are here!”   
I looked to Pam as they argued. She stood between Eric and me, watching them intently. I could see the side of her face and the streaks of blood down her cheeks as she cried. I hadn’t thought I would ever see Pam, cold hard Pam, crying. She looked lost as if she didn’t know what to do and I felt the same.   
I had missed part of the argument between Godric and Eric. Something in Eric had broken and he dropped to his knees in front of his maker. Sobs wracked his body as he hung his head. He was speaking in a language I couldn’t recognize but I got the impression he was pleading with Godric to reconsider.   
“Let me go, Eric” Godric sighed, placing his hand on Eric’s shoulder.   
Eric shook his head in denial and drew himself up “I will not let you die alone.”  
Godric closed his eyes and made an attempt at a real smile “You will. And you will bring your child home with you.” He paused for a moment to brush his hand over Eric’s hair affectionately “as your maker I command you.”  
Eric let out a final sob and pulled himself up to stand before Godric. I wondered for a moment if he would continue to argue but he turned a second later and strode away, head bowed. “Come, Pam” he mumbled as he passed.   
Pam sent a last helpless look towards Godric and turned to leave with Eric.   
It seemed like they had forgotten that I was even there. I was glad they had as it meant Godric hadn’t ordered Eric to take me with him. The two vampires were out of sight a second later. Picking myself up off the ground I walked over to Godric and tried to catch his eye.   
“Why are you doing this Godric?” I asked gently.   
He seemed surprised that I had stayed but didn’t hesitate to answer. “I have done terrible things in the years I have been a vampire. I must atone for the destruction I have caused, Alyssa. My kind, we do not belong here. We have not evolved, only grown more brutal and I find I cannot live with the death that I have left in my wake.”  
“But you aren’t that person anymore, Godric. You’ve changed” I reminded him.   
I couldn’t imagine this kind vampire with his quiet demeanor as a monster. He didn’t seem willing to hurt a fly let alone kill for sport.   
Godric shrugged “yes, I do not think much like a vampire any more. But a change now does not balance the scales of what I have done.”  
“And you think dying will?” I asked, frantically trying to think of a way to talk him down.  
Godric thought about his answer for a moment. Perhaps he was stalling. The sky was starting to lighten and I thought the sunrise must not be far off. “I can only hope that my death will perhaps make up for some of the deaths I have caused.”  
Tears gathered in my eyes and I crossed my arms in an attempt to hold myself together. There was no way I was going to break down when I was supposed to be saving Godric. The wind had picked up and tossed my hair into my face. The few trees around the building bent and twisted groaning under the sudden pressure. Godric glanced around him curiously “how interesting” he murmured.   
I forcefully pushed off mourning him, he hadn’t truly died yet and I wasn’t going to let him if it was the last thing I did. “If you meet the true death Godric, you might make up for some of the things you’ve done” I agreed with him “but, can you make up for all of it that way? Wouldn’t it be better, rather than meeting the sun, to put your knowledge to use. You say vampires haven’t evolved but maybe that’s what you’re doing. You see what is wrong with the way you lived before and you can show other vampires another way. You could bring about change and save thousands of people from vampires that are like you once were, couldn’t you?” I argued.   
Godric regarded me thoughtfully and I could only hope that I was getting through to him. His gaze wandered back to the sky line and I jumped to catch his attention again.   
“You saved me, Godric, from a vampire that would have killed me if you weren’t here. We need vampires like you, the world needs to see that there are really vampires like you out there. Please don’t do this. And what about Eric? He needs you. You’re like his life line” I reminded him.   
Godric sighed “the blame for Eric can also be laid at my feet.”  
I shrugged as if it didn’t matter “but Eric isn’t all bad. He has a compassion for the people he cares about. Even if there aren’t many people that he cares about. He’s smart and caring and I know he would defend Pam and you with everything he has. Can’t some of that be laid at your feet as well? Think of all the good things you’ve done.”  
“Unfortunately the bad far outweighs the good, little one” Godric replied, but I felt like his resolve was starting to crack. Feeling like I had an edge I made a final push.   
“Please, you can make up for whatever bad it is that you’ve done in time. Maybe you will convince other vampires to do the same and someday the good will far outweigh the bad. Come back with me, balance the scales” I pleaded with him.   
Godric cast a last look at the sky, starting to turn pink with the sun. When he looked back at me, he had a smile on his face. “I have waited two thousand years for a sunrise. Perhaps I can wait just a short while longer.”  
With an excited squeal I threw myself at him, wrapping my arms tightly around his shoulders. He froze for a moment before his arms wound around my waist. “Thank you” I mumbled into the side of his neck.   
Godric squeezed me tighter for barely a second before releasing me “thank you, little one.”  
One glance at the sky made my stomach flip. The sun was on the rise and I could see the beginnings of smoke coming off of Godric’s shoulders “you need to get out of the sun. Now” I demanded, pulling away from him.   
Godric cast a final look at the sun, just beginning to peek over the horizon and shook his head. “There is not much time. Would it be acceptable to carry you back?” Godric questioned.   
I nodded quickly and Godric scooped me up. It was a much more pleasant trip back than it had been to get there though I still gripped Godric’s shoulders as tight as I could as he ran.   
His neck was singed red by the time we had reached the shelter of Fangtasia. He set me gently down and we walked through the door.   
It looked like the place had been robbed. There was furniture tossed everywhere and broken bottles littered the floor. Eric sat in one of the few chairs that had been spared from his attack with his head in his hands. Pam sat several feet away, her face covered in bloody tears. When Eric saw Godric he flashed over to stand in front of us.   
“Godric” He gasped, dropping to his knees.   
Godric gazed down at the blond peacefully “I have returned, Eric.” Like a parent with their kid, Godric wiped the blood tears that were flowing down Eric’s face though it only served to smudge his cheeks.   
“How?” Eric asked. Godric turned to look at me and Eric’s eyes followed.   
Eric drew himself up to tower over me and looked at me with a strange expression on his face. “Alyssa Bennett, thank you. I don’t know what you did to save Godric but I am in your debt” Eric declared, his voice thick.  
I shrugged, my face getting hot “I’m just glad I could.”  
“Come, Eric, we should rest.” Godric reminded him, glancing over to Pam to include her in the statement.   
Pam walked over to us and placed a hand on Godric’s shoulder “I am glad you came back Godric” she smiled before heading to the basement.   
Godric nodded after her and turned back to Eric. “Go, my child, I will join you shortly.”  
Eric hesitated, not willing to let Godric out of his sight so soon after leaving him. He conceded a moment later and walked towards the basement. He cast a final look over his shoulder as if to make sure that Godric was still there before disappearing down the stairs.   
Godric turned to face me “you will take a cab home, little one? The sun may be up but there are plenty of humans out there that would do you harm.” Godric reminded me.   
I hadn’t planned on it, I hadn’t really thought of what I would do for the day. I certainly hadn’t planned on taking a cab home. I didn’t have my wallet with me but didn’t see how it would make much of a difference to Godric so I just nodded. Godric narrowed his eyes at me and I worried he would be able to tell I was lying. If he could tell then he didn’t say anything. Instead he sighed and offered me a small smile. Godric’s hand reached up and cupped the side of my face. I leaned into the cool feeling of his skin and returned his smile.   
“Be safe, little one, and enjoy your daytime” Godric told me, his voice smooth as silk.   
I was all but breathless from his eyes pinning me down. Now that the crisis had been averted my dream from early that night came floating back and I flushed. I wondered if Godric was aware of how I was feeling like they had mentioned was likely to happen. It just made me all the more embarrassed to think about. So I nodded slowly and he dropped his hand. Godric turned to go to the basement where I assumed they had beds. “Godric” I called before he had gotten too far. He turned to look over his shoulder at me “I’ll be here at sundown.”  
Godric sent a smile my way and nodded “I look forward to it, Alyssa.” He disappeared in search of shelter for the day.   
I turned and walked out of the building into the early morning sun. The streets were fairly quiet, it was too early for most people to be up so I made it home without being harassed. There was no need, I reassured myself as I opened the front door of my apartment building.  
Evan was, surprisingly, waiting for me in the living room. She bounced up at the sound of me coming into the apartment and stormed over to me.   
“Where the hell were you?” She exclaimed, stamping her foot.   
I blinked at her in confusion. Why was she awake? I was fairly certain she hadn’t been woken up by my leaving and she got up early but never so early as this “why are you awake?” I questioned, hanging up my coat in the closet.   
“Why am I up!? Seriously Alyssa! I got up to go to the bathroom and you were gone! So I tried to call you ‘cause I knew you weren’t working and I hear it ringing in your bedroom! Why on earth wouldn’t you take your phone? What if you got in trouble and needed to call for help? Or what if I needed help? I’ve been sitting here worrying for the past hour! I was going to call the cops!” Evan lectured me.   
I felt guilt build in the pit of my stomach for worrying her. She was right, of course. If there had been anything wrong I would have had no way to get ahold of her. And she was left without a clue as to where I was. I already knew how worries she was about me dealing with vampires and then I go and leave for the whole night without notice. Tears poured down my cheeks and I apologized over and over again. Evan seemed startled by my reaction. She sighed and shook her head as she wrapped her arms around my shoulders.   
“What on earth happened?” she questioned.  
The events of the past couple of hours tumbled out between sobs that wracked my body. I noticed vaguely that the glass windows were shaking as if a strong wind was pushing against them and the glasses in the cabinets rattled.   
“Shh. It’s okay Aly. He’s alright. You did a good job, Godric is going to be okay” Evan soothed, resting her chin on the top of my head.   
I sniffed and tried to get a grip on myself. She was right, Godric was safe for today and I would make sure he stayed that way for as long as it took.  
“I’m going to go back there tonight. I have to check on him” I sniffled.   
Evan nodded like she had expected it and perhaps she had. Evan had a way of knowing things about me without me having to say anything “I’ll come with you.”  
I sighed and looked at her. Her pale hair was a mess around her face, no doubt from worrying about me and her eyes were blood shot, possibly from crying or lack of sleep. But her lips were set in a stubborn line and she raised an eyebrow at me in challenge. I rolled my eyes and nodded to her “fine. Come with me then. But let’s go sleep some more, yeah?”  
Evan heaved a thankful sigh as she pulled herself up from the couch. We walked down the hall to our rooms but she hesitated outside of my door. “Could I…” she trailed off, her cheeks flushing.   
Evan didn’t have to finish the sentence for me to know what she was asking. Even at twenty three, and eighteen, we still occasionally shared a bed.  
It had been out of necessity when we were young and then as our father drank more and got increasingly violent it was for protection. When we had moved in with my aunt after child protective services had taken us from him we had been unable to bear sleeping in separate rooms for years. Now, when one of us had a nightmare or were too stressed to be able to manage on our own we would crawl into each other’s bed and hold each other until the sun came up. It had been a long time since either of us had needed it but I didn’t hesitate to agree with her. After the events of the morning I didn’t think I would be able to sleep without her.   
We pulled the sheets up around our shoulders like a cocoon and even though Evan was taller than me by several inches, she rested her head on my shoulder just as we always had and I wrapped my arms around her. After a moment I brought a hand up to stroke through the thin locks of her hair and she snuggled into my side.   
I don’t know how long I stayed awake, focusing on the comfort of Evan beside me and the calming feeling of pushing my hands through her hair but I woke up several hours later to the late afternoon light streaming through my bedroom window.   
I groaned and stretched, waking Evan up in the process. “I feel like we’ve been asleep for forever” she grumbled.   
I laughed at the sight of her. Her hair stuck up in every direction no doubt a result of my ministrations earlier. “Go have a shower” I instructed “I’ll make us something to eat.”  
She nodded and pulled herself out of my bed, heading for the bathroom. I rolled out of the bed a minute later to riffle through the kitchen cabinets in search of something for us to eat. I decided on pasta and went about getting it ready as I heard the shower turn on.   
I was just finishing up when Evan stepped into the room toweling her hair dry. She inhaled deeply and smiled at me “Yum, smells amazing Aly!”  
I snorted, scooping some of the pasta onto my plate “it’s just spaghetti Ev.”  
Evan shrugged as she ladled out her own portion “doesn’t mean it doesn’t smell good.”  
We ate quickly and got ourselves ready to go. I wasn’t sure what I should wear so I pulled on a short skirt, thick leggings and a long sleeve plaid top. Evan had pulled on a faded pair of jeans and a pullover for the night. As we walked out the door I show of putting my phone into my purse. Evan just rolled her eyes and smiled at me.   
The walk to Fangtasia felt long in the anticipation of finally arriving and being able to assure myself that Godric had in fact survived the night. It did feel better to have her sister beside her for support. They would handle whatever happened together, just like they always had.   
The door was open when they tried it even though the sun was just beginning to set and when they walked into the club Alyssa was surprised to see that it looked like the prior nights events hadn’t happened. Godric was at the top of the stairs as soon as the door closed to Alyssa’s surprise.   
“The sun hasn’t even set yet, Godric” Alyssa observed.   
Godric spared a moment to take in her appearance, eyes raking down her form in a way that made Alyssa blush. He met her gaze after a moment and seemed to notice her embarrassed expression because his own turned apologetic. “I am very old, little one, and I no longer need as much sleep as I once did.”  
Evan strolled into the room and threw herself into a chair she deemed comfortable enough. “Where are you from, Godric?”   
“I am originally from Gaul” he answered shortly.   
I was intrigued, at 2000 years old Godric must have an amazing wealth of knowledge and he seemed so open that night. “How did you get turned into a vampire? Is your maker still alive?” I asked.   
Godric took his time answering, found a comfortable position in a seat across from Evan and motioned me over to join them.   
“I was captured as a young boy by roman soldiers and sold into slavery. My master eventually revealed himself to be a vampire and turned me. When I learned what I needed to know of what I had become, I killed him” Godric told us bluntly.   
I was surprised to hear that Godric had killed his maker, “you must have had a very different relationship than you and Eric do. Is it rare then, to be so close with your maker?”   
Godric shook his head slowly “no, little one. It is quite the opposite. What I did is very uncommon and frowned upon.”  
“Are your tattoos from when you were human then?” Evan asked, nodding to the patch of ink visible underneath the collar of his shirt.   
I wondered where Godric found the clothes he wore. He was wearing a loose white tunic that hung almost to his knees and loose cloth pants of the same color. I had never seen anything like them in any of the stores I had shopped in.   
Godric confirmed Evan’s question and explained he had gotten them before being turned. He calmly pulled the sleeves of his shirt up to show us the bands that wrapped around his arms. One was filled with symbols that I couldn’t decipher and the other was several blue lines like waves. The symbols, he explained had come after being sold into slavery but the waves had been rites of passage several years before his capture. I had leaned forward in my seat to get a look at them but Eric appearing behind his maker startled me back.   
“We will shortly have a visitor. Sookie is on her way with some concern about Bill” Eric spat the name out and I got the idea that Eric seriously disliked the other vampire. Whether for legitimate reasons or simply because he was in a relationship with Sookie remained to be seen.   
She turned up several minutes later, eyes panicked. She spared a moment to exchange greetings and introductions with Evan and me before turning her attention to Eric.   
“Do you know where he is? I swear to god if you’re involved in him going missing Eric Northman!” Sookie warned.   
Eric held his hands up in defense and shook his head “I’ve got nothing to do with dearest William’s disappearance” Eric mocked.   
Sookie scowled at him for a moment and they seemed to unconsciously lean closer to each other even as they glared. “Oh for god sake, kiss already!” Evan huffed sarcastically.   
Sookie’s head snapped in our direction to stare at Evan incredulously “I wouldn’t! I’m with Bill.”   
“Well, not with him Sookie, or else you would know where he was” Eric joked.   
Sookie huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. I wondered if she realized it pushed her chest further up in her already low cut sundress. “Can you help me find him or not?”   
Eric rolled his eyes and pulled out his phone “have you tried calling him?” Eric questioned, presumably dialing Bills number.   
Sookie rolled her eyes “of course I called him! He isn’t answering!”   
Eric shrugged and placed the phone to his ear. Surprise flitted across Eric’s face a moment later to be quickly replaced by anger “This is Eric Northman, sheriff of area five. Who is this?” he demanded.   
Sookie gaped at him and tried to catch his attention in order to find out what was happening. Eric waved her away, listening to whoever was on the other end of the phone. “Put William on the phone at once, Lorena…William. Where are you? Come see me at Fangtasia at once, do you understand? Bring your maker with you. I would have words with you both, do you understand?” Eric ordered, his expression menacing. He hung up shortly after and tossed the phone haphazardly onto the bar.   
“Who is Lorena, Eric? What’s going on?” Sookie demanded.   
Eric sighed and schooled his features into a more neutral expression “Lorena is his maker, Sookie. He has been with her since going ‘missing’. They will be here shortly.”


	5. Chapter 5

Sookie couldn’t keep still while we waited for Bill and this mysterious Lorena to show up. She paced the length of the bar and fidgeted with anything she could get her hands on. The conversation between Evan, Godric, and I had tapered off as we all watched Sookie fidget. Eric looked absolutely menacing from his throne. He glared at the door in anticipation with his gaze occasionally flicking over to Sookie transforming his glare to a concerned look. I could understand why Sookie was so upset, if Bill’s relationship with his maker was much like Godric and Eric’s, then the two would be extremely close and yet he had never mentioned her to Sookie? It just seemed suspicious to me as I’m sure it did to Sookie. In addition to the fact that he had disappeared the previous night without a word to her about where he was going, the whole thing gave me an uncomfortable feeling.   
I felt a pair of eyes on me and turned to see that not everyone was watching Sookie or Eric. Godric’s eyes were on me, searching my face. I tilted my head curiously at him, wondering why he was looking at me like he was. Godric smiled in return but didn’t drop his gaze as he had in the past. So we stared at each other for several minutes. I took the time to appreciate fully that the handsome vampire across from me was probably the oldest thing I had ever seen or ever would see. The stories he could probably tell.   
Godric had seemed so open earlier, I could only hope that it hadn’t been a temporary thing and that we would get some time to talk after the ordeal with Bill was finished.   
At that thought, the door to the bar swung open and Bill marched through, a severely put out expression on his face. Behind him was a tall, thin woman that I assumed was Lorena.   
She was fairly pretty I acknowledged though I found I instantly disliked her. Her reddish brown hair was piled on the top of her head in an intricate up do. I wondered how long it had taken her to do it and if it had required help or not. She had cat like eyes that darted around the room suspiciously and a full pouted lips that were pulled into a grimace. The way she walked furthered the image of her as a cat slinking around the room.   
“Eric, you have summoned us?” Bill questioned, glaring at the large vampire.   
Eric narrowed his eyes at the pair “Yes. This vampire, your maker, has not notified me of her presence in my area, I would like to know why. Your human, Sookie, also asked this favor of me, since you didn’t see fit to notify her of your whereabouts” he hissed.   
Bill regard Sookie who looked royally pissed off. She was standing near Eric with her arms crossed and her hip cocked out to the side. Her usually smiling face was pulled into a ferocious look that I wouldn’t have thought she would be capable of.   
“Sookie, let me explain” Bill pleaded.   
Lorena ‘tsk-ed’ behind him and looped her arm into his “You needn’t explain anything, darling. Surely the human can see for herself what is going on” she drawled.   
“Who the fuck are you? Get your hands off of him!” Sookie demanded, stepping off of the platform Eric’s throne was mounted on.   
“I am William’s maker, you insolent girl. You are nothing more than a bag of blood to him! You will not win this” Lorena sneered, meeting Sookie in the middle of the room.   
Sookie’s chin jutted out defiantly “I’ve already won. Bill chose me.”  
Lorena arched an eyebrow at her, sultry eyes sliding back to look at Bill “Is that so? Then why did he leave you to spend his night with me? You know how it is, even old lovers rekindle their flame now and again. You are just a plaything to him” Lorena taunted.   
Bill stepped in finally “that is not true Sookie, she is lying.”  
Lorena gaped at him for a moment before turning her expression into a smirk “am I, William? Why don’t you tell your little human about the queen then, if she’s so important to you?”   
Bill glared at Lorena “How dare you? Sookie do not believe what she says!”   
Sookie considered them angrily for a moment “if you weren’t with her then where were you, Bill?” she demanded.   
Bill opened his mouth but thought better of what he was going to say. He tried several times to come up with an excuse but failed “You son of a bitch, Bill! I can’t believe you! I never want to see you again, do you understand me? I rescind your invitation in my home, never speak to me again!” Sookie screamed.   
The expression on Bills face showed how utterly lost he was, I thought Bill probably wasn’t used to Sookie standing up to him let alone not having a way to talk her down. Lorena cackled happily and wrapped herself around Bill.   
“You do pick the feisty ones, William! Now, let’s get back to our activities, I believe we have a maid who is waiting for our return” Lorena purred.   
Eric rose from his throne and advanced on the group, he looked like a predator stalking his prey. Eric brushed Sookie behind him and flashed his fangs at the pair.   
“What is your business with the queen?” Eric demanded.   
Lorena rolled her eyes at him “I believe the queens business is none of yours, Northman.”  
Eric moved forward faster than I could follow and had Lorena by the throat. He lifted her easily off of the ground to be at eye level with him.   
“You will only speak when spoken to or I will be tempted to relieve your body of your head, do you understand?” Eric growled.   
Godric, I noticed, had stood up when Eric had moved and looked like he was unsure of whether he should stop his child or not.   
Lorena nodded as much as she could and Eric set her down. She opened her mouth to speak but a warning glare from Eric had her thinking twice about it.   
“Now William, answer my questions” Eric ordered.   
Bill looked pained by the question and kept looking to Sookie apologetically “The queen has a human…who spoke about a relative with supernatural powers… specifically the ability to read minds. She sent me to investigate and determine if it were true or not. When I found Sookie, I knew the human had been telling the truth. Sophie-Ann wanted me to make Sookie fall for me in order to deliver her to the queen. But I haven’t! Sookie I swear, after I got to know you I would have protected you from the queen. I do love you!” Bill pleaded.   
Sookie gaped at him in shock “How could you, Bill! Our entire relationship has been fake?” She demanded.  
Eric punched Bill in the face at vampire speed, sending him flying back several feet “Both of you will leave my area immediately. If I ever see your faces again I will wear tear out your fangs and use them to disembowel you. Do you understand?” Eric snarled.  
Lorena hastily retreated to pull Bill up from the ground and nodded, not meeting the tall vampire’s eyes. “Yes, Sheriff” she mumbled.   
They made a quick exit, the door to the club slamming shut behind them. Sookie deflated as soon as they were out of sight. Tears streamed down her face and she began to crumple to the floor. Eric caught her before she had much of a chance and scooped her up into his arms. He carried Sookie over to the couch and sat her gently down. Eric looked to Evan and I, at a loss for what to do to console Sookie. He hesitantly rubbed her back in small circled. Evan rolled her eyes at him and pulled herself out of her seat. Evan kneeled down in front of the blond and placed a hand on her leg.   
“Do you want something to drink, Sookie? Some water maybe? Or vodka?” Evan joked.   
Sookie snorted in response and wiped her eyes. “Yeah, actually vodka sounds like a great idea.”  
Evan looked at Eric impatiently and the tall vampire got the hint. He had returned in the blink of an eye with a glass of vodka. I curled my nose at the thought of downing a whole glass of vodka straight.  
Sookie seemed to think the same because she took the tall glass with a confused look but sipped at it nevertheless.   
“I think I would just like to go home” Sookie sighed after a moment, brushing more tears off of her cheeks.   
“I will take you” Eric offered immediately.   
Sookie gave him a considering look and frowned “I don’t know if I trust you to drive my car, Viking.”  
She had finished at least half the glass and I wondered if she was already feeling the effects of the vodka. Her words were slightly slurred and she had stopped crying.   
“I could drive you home Sookie, if that’s better. No offense Eric, but sometimes you need a girl to talk to.” Evan offered.   
Eric seemed disappointed at the thought of not being able to accompany Sookie home “why don’t you follow them, or ride in the car as well so you can get Evan home as well” I suggested.   
Eric agreed instantly, deciding on riding in the car with the two girls so that they could get back quicker. Evan shot me a look to make sure I was okay with being alone for a couple hours. I nodded easily and raised a hand to wave goodbye.   
I was alone with Godric a moment later. We sat in awkward silence for several minutes before I spoke up. “Can I ask you a question, Godric?”   
Godric smiled kindly at me and nodded “whatever you would like to know, little one. I owe you at least that much.”  
I was taken aback by his response, “what do you mean, you owe me that much? You don’t owe me anything Godric.”  
Godric shook his head in disagreement “but I do, little one. You forced me to realize many things this past night. Not only have you shown me a better way in which to atone for my past, I have seen the effect it would have had on my child and Pamela. I feel I have a purpose again which I also owe to you, dear Alyssa” Godric explained gratefully.   
I couldn’t help but blush at him calling me ‘dear’ though I felt like a naïve school girl for it. “I didn’t stop you because I wanted you to owe me anything Godric. If anything it makes us even, you saved me.”  
Godric considered what I had said “even still, little one, it is possible that I also wish for you to know me better. Perhaps I will come to know you better in turn.”   
I had to admit that I liked the thought of getting to know Godric better even though the thought of Godric learning things about me that most people didn’t was frightening. It was only fair, I reminded myself; if I expected Godric to answer my questions then I would have to answer his as well.   
“Alright. Well, my question is sort of about Eric. Sookie called him Viking, was he actually one?” I inquired.   
Godric nodded to confirm and his tone turned reminiscent “Eric was a Viking warrior. Watching him in battle was mesmerizing. When he was fatally injured, his men built him a pyre and drank as they waited for him to die. It was then that I had come to Eric. I had known, you see, as soon as I had seen him injured that I would turn him. He was the first vampire I had made as I wasn’t keen at the time on companionship. Eric showed me the worth in it.” Godric explained, his eyes far away.   
“Were you very old by then?” I wondered. Godric had said he was two thousand years old and I tried to date the Viking era in my mind but couldn’t come up with a definite number.   
“I was as old then as Eric is now, give or take a handful of years” he confirmed.  
Godric waited for me to think of another question, content it seemed to tell me about his past “Do you have any other children?” it felt odd to be asking someone who looked as young as Godric did about his children. I had to keep reminding myself that Godric was so much older than he looked.   
“Yes, I have another child called Nora. She was turned sometime after Eric, and we parted ways shortly before Eric and I did. She has… radical views as of late and I found it hard to converse with her when we last spoke.”   
I hummed in response, wondering what else I wanted to ask Godric. He seemed exceedingly pale and I wondered if it was from a lack of feeding. I had realized before coming to Fangtasia that night that Godric was essentially depressed and decided to treat him as such. Even though I had talked him off the rooftop and he seemed more optimistic, it didn’t mean we wouldn’t find him up there again in a week.   
I knew that people who were depressed had a tendency to eat their feelings or hardly eat at all. And if Godric had thought he was going to meet the sun shortly then he would most likely have refrained from shedding someone’s blood any more than necessary.   
I decided that being direct with him was the best option “when was the last time you fed, Godric?”   
He cringed at my question and dropped his eyes “I do not need much blood to sustain me, little one” he mumbled.   
I sighed “you’re avoiding the question.”  
Godric looked away, feigning interest in Eric’s throne “it has been several years since I last drank human blood. I have sustained myself with synthetic blood.”  
I shuddered, the synthetic blood, true blood it was called, smelled excessively tangy and metallic. It had a tendency to have hot and cold spots no matter how much you shook it after heating and I had to wonder how nutritious l it truly was. “Has it been a while since you last had one?”  
Godric sighed and fidgeted in his seat “a week, perhaps more.”  
“Godric!” I exclaimed “you can’t just go a week without feeding, you’re going to starve to death!”   
The vampire across from me looked extremely uncomfortable with the conversation we were having. “I am fine, little one.”  
I stood up and put my hands on my hips, looking down at him reproachfully “I’m getting you a true blood right now and you’re going to drink it” I demanded, using the best mom voice I could summon.   
The look of distaste on Godric’s face confirmed my suspicion that it must not taste very good. He had to be hungry, I thought, to have gone at least a week without having any blood. “I do not wish to have one, Alyssa. But I appreciate your concern” he replied, meeting my eyes finally.   
I don’t know what caused me to say it but it had slipped out before I realized “Would you drink my blood then?”  
Godric blinked up at me in surprise “you would be willing to do that for me?”  
I shrugged, realizing I would in fact be willing though it did make a ball of nerves settle into the pit of my stomach “yeah, I would. You need to eat Godric, and I know real blood is better than that fake stuff isn’t it?”   
Godric agreed but shook his head “even still, I could not do such a thing to you, little one.”  
I huffed at him “well you have to drink something. I’m not giving up on this until you do.”  
“Very well” Godric sighed “I will drink a true blood to appease you” Godric stood and flashed to the bar. The microwave whirred for a moment and then dinged. Godric sat in front of me a second later, a bottle of true blood in his hand. Godric raised the bottle in an exaggerated motion and took a drink trying to suppress a grimace at the taste.   
“It must be a big difference from the taste of normal blood?” I inquired.   
Godric nodded shallowly and took another drink “I could not explain the taste other than that it tastes fake, as it is.”  
I frowned, feeling bad for forcing him to drink something that clearly tasted awful. But his skin already looked better and his eyes were brighter as they watched me over the bottle.   
My phone buzzed in my purse signaling I had a phone call. I pulled it out and answered quickly upon seeing that it was Evan. “What’s up?” I asked into the phone.   
“We’re leaving Sookie’s place now. Eric said we should be back in like, five minutes or so. I think I’m just going to get him to drop me at the apartment. I’m absolutely beat. Will you promise to get one of them to take you home?” Evan questioned.   
“I will take you home whenever you wish, little one” Godric offered, clearly able to hear what Evan was saying.   
I smiled at him in acknowledgement “Ok, yeah, just send me a text to say you got home alright? Godric said he would take me home so you don’t have to worry” I assured her.   
Evan yawned into the phone then laughed at herself “Alright, have a good night then Aly. Eric’s bothering me to go so goodnight” She hummed.   
I said goodnight in reply and we ended the call. Godric finished up his true blood and not long after I received a text from Evan saying she was home. Not a minute later Eric walked through the door.   
He ranted for quite a while about Bill and how much of an idiot he was before Godric soothed him and reassured him it was just his chance at finding a way to make Sookie see him the way he wanted her to. I piped in with encouragement, telling him how I thought Sookie was probably well on her way to that already based on how she reacted to him. Eric seemed hopeful at the thought, his expression like an excited child on Christmas.   
Something occurred to him some time later and his demeanor changed to that of a cat stalking his prey. It made me nervous to have that gaze focused on me.   
“Tell me, Alyssa, how you managed to resist my glamor” Eric demanded.   
I was confused to say the least. I had heard of vampires having the ability to bend the will of humans and even change their memories. A pharmaceutical company had been talking about producing contact lenses that would protect people from it. But I couldn’t think of a time when Eric had tried to do it to me. “I don’t know what you’re talking about” I admitted.   
“I believe she also resisted the glamor of the vampire that attacked her” Godric observed, his gaze curious.   
“What are you talking about?” I demanded, looking between the two of them “I haven’t done any such thing!”   
Eric kneeled down in front of me, hands gripping the arms of the chair I was sitting in in order to effectively trap me “Let’s put it to the test then, shall we?”   
I gulped nervously but nodded. Eric caught my eye and I felt pinned down like I couldn’t move under the intensity of his gaze “Tell me your deepest, darkest secret Alyssa.”  
“Eric” Godric’s voice was a warning.   
My eyebrows came together and I frowned at him “Don’t be ridiculous” I chided.   
Eric’s eyes narrowed “Alyssa Bennett, you will tell me a secret that no one else knows” he ordered.  
I shook my head, breaking eye contact with him “I said no Eric.”  
Eric huffed at me “so you see, my glamor has no effect on you.”   
I was surprised, I hadn’t felt any different than when Eric normally asked me to do things that I didn’t want to do. Sure his stare had been intense and I had felt trapped by it but I thought that had more to do with Eric himself than his vampire abilities.   
“What’s wrong with me then? Why doesn’t it work?” I questioned them.   
Eric shrugged, rocking back on his heels “whatever the reason, this information could be dangerous. You must not let another vampire find out about this.”  
“There is also the matter of your telekinesis, little one” Godric added.   
I gaped at him “my what?”  
“It is the supernatural ability in which one is able to move objects with their mind” Godric explained helpfully.   
I pursed my lips at him “I know what it means Godric. But I can’t do that.”  
“I think it must be somewhat linked to your emotions, or is currently since you have not developed your ability” Godric noted.  
“This is ridiculous. I’m not telekinetic! You two are nuts” I exclaimed, looking away from them.   
Eric rolled his eyes “the day you came in for me to test you, you were nervous correct?” at my nod he continued “and you dropped two bottles but the one behind you caught itself and was replaced on the shelf.”  
“And when you were convincing me against meeting the sun, when you cried the trees bent and threw themselves around us until you calmed yourself. Has that not happened before, little one?”  
I began to shake my head to deny it, but I thought back to when I had cried to Evan and how the apartment had rattled. Having thought about it I could remember as far back as when I had hit puberty getting angry and having glasses break or similar situations. Slowly, I nodded.   
“Did your parents have similar abilities?” Eric questioned.   
I shook my head ‘no’. My mother had died in childbirth so I had never known her. The only image I had of her was a picture that had sat on my father’s bedside table until he had found a new girlfriend two years after her death. I had found the photo in the trash and kept it secret until Evan and I had been taken from our father’s custody when he had been reported for child abuse.   
I told the two vampires in front of me about my mother’s death and how we had ended up living with an aunt until I had turned 18 with a matter-of-fact tone. Godric’s curious expression softened into one of remorse “I am very sorry, little one. No one should have to suffer at the hands of their parents.”  
I brushed it off “It’s not a big deal” I sighed “but it doesn’t help explain anything. There’s no way to tell if my mother had it or not.”  
Eric thought to himself for a moment “I will look into what could cause such a gift but this should be kept between us as well. I will notify Pam in case she has any insight as well.”  
“Where is Pam, anyway?” I questioned. She hadn’t been present all night.   
“She declared a need for a vacation after the trials of these past few nights and will return by tomorrow night with my credit cards” Eric replied dryly.   
I couldn’t help but laugh at the image of Eric handing over his cards to an eager Pam and the resulting damage she would do to his finances. Pam looked like the type who would have expensive tastes.   
“If it is acceptable to you, Alyssa, while Eric looks into the possible origins of this gift I think it would be beneficial for you to try and master it. I offer my aid in doing this” Godric suggested.   
I thought he was probably right, I needed to have control of it, now that I knew it existed and if it was as dangerous as Eric and Godric seemed to think it was then I might need it to defend myself one day. It was a plus, I decided, that the result would mean I wouldn’t have to get up to do things half as much. I was lazy, deep down and it was an appealing idea.   
“That sounds like it would be a good plan, Godric. But maybe we could start tomorrow? I’m pretty tired so I should probably be getting home” it was three in the morning, my phone told me. Not late by vampire standards but there were only a handful of hours left until sunrise and I didn’t want to take up their whole night.   
“Very well, Alyssa, I will see you to your home” Godric stood and offered me his hand.   
Flushing, I placed my hand in his and rose. I had assumed Godric would let go as soon as I was on my feet but instead he laced his fingers through mine and lead me out the door. I couldn’t help the small smile that appeared on my face.


	6. Chapter 6

Due to the late hour the streets were generally deserted. A few homeless people crouched between buildings in hopes of shading themselves from the occasional gust of wind and a handful of people in dark clothing hurried about but otherwise we had the streets to ourselves. Godric’s hand was cold in mine in a comforting sort of way as he led me through the streets.   
We walked mostly in silence, exchanging a few words every now and then. I was enjoying the cool night air and being able to see the sky as it was a very clear night. We reached my apartment soon enough and Godric accompanied me not only to the front door but to my apartment door as well.   
“Thank you so much for seeing me home Godric” I smiled to him, stalling by the door.   
Godric returned my smile but his expression was almost bashful “it was entirely my pleasure, little one.”  
“It’s not very common, you know, to have a man walk a girl home anymore. You’re quite the gentleman” I teased him, squeezing the hand that still grasped mine.   
Godric’s bashful expression turned mischievous and he swept a deep bow over my hand. My mouth popped open as his lips brushed over my knuckles. I had certainly not been expecting him to do that. My cheeks turned tomato red. His eyes glanced up at me to gauge my reaction. The smirk on his face as he straightened was reminiscent of the one that Eric frequently displayed.   
“At your service, my lady” He mocked.   
I narrowed my eyes at him but couldn’t keep the smile from breaking out across my face. I hadn’t seen this light-hearted side of Godric and it gave me hope. He had been so different today but I hoped it hadn’t been just because he had felt he owed me something, like he had mentioned earlier.  
I stepped into a clumsy curtsey after a moment, pushing past my embarrassment. When I straightened again tilted my head at him “you mentioned working on my telekinesis tomorrow, but I do work” I commented.   
Godric shrugged as if it didn’t matter “Eric will surely excuse you.”  
I seriously doubted that Eric would be so easy about letting me take the night off. Though, I supposed, Godric could tell him that I was and Eric wouldn’t argue with him. But I wouldn’t feel right about it and I couldn’t afford to take the time off. So I shook my head “I don’t think that is a good idea. Maybe we should put it off for a couple nights? Until I’m not scheduled to work.”  
Godric seemed like he had expected me to say so as he didn’t hesitate to offer an alternative “If you do not have other plans for your evening, I rise several hours before sundown. You could return to Fangtasia while it is still light out so that we would have time before you are required to work for my progeny.”  
I thought it over, the opportunity to see Godric more in addition to perhaps having control over these powers I apparently had. It scared me though, that I was so different. It scared me to think that there was something wrong with me that set me apart from everyone else, from even Evan.   
“What’s wrong with me Godric?” I mumbled, looking at my hands “why am I so different?”  
Godric’s hand cupped my face gently, tipping my face up so he could meet my eyes “there is nothing wrong with you, dearest Alyssa. Please do not think such things.”  
I bit my lip self-consciously, tears welling in my eyes. I didn’t know what to do, even if Godric could help me control my abilities- and I had no idea how he planned to do that- I would still be left wondering why I could do these things and always have to worry about the wrong person finding out.   
To my surprise, Godric drew me into him and wrapped his arms around me. I clutched at the soft linen of his shirt and buried my face in the crook of his neck. It seemed odd that he was suddenly so ok with being close to me, he had never been in the past and he didn’t seem overly affectionate with Eric or Pam. But I wasn’t about to complain, being in his arms felt better than I could have expected. It made me feel safe though I realized that most people- especially those who had previously been attacked by a vampire- would feel the opposite of safe in this situation. Godric had rested him chin on my shoulder but he turned his face into the side of my neck and I felt him inhale deeply. His breath fanned out against the side of my neck as my eyebrows came together.   
“Did you just…Godric, did you just smell me?” I asked and pulled back not sure if I should be offended or amused.   
Godric smiled sheepishly at me “I apologize, little one. I did not mean to make you uncomfortable. Your scent is quite distracting and I could not resist.”  
His response didn’t help me decide how I should react “should I take that as a compliment?” I questioned.   
Godric chuckled and nodded “yes, it is meant as a compliment. Your smell is quite singular. I have not in all my years smelled a human quite like you” Godric admitted.   
My eyes widened in surprise. If Godric had been alive for 2000 years and hadn’t smelled someone similar than I truly must have been unique. I added it to the list of oddities I was finding about myself. “Do most humans smell similar to each other then?” I asked, trying to hide my embarrassment.   
Godric thought about it for a moment. I realized then, that we were still standing in the hallway and turned to open the door. I invited Godric in demurely and led the way to the living room. He must have realized that Evan would be sleeping because he spoke quietly.   
“In answer to your question, yes most humans smell similar, Alyssa” a little thrill went through me from the way my name sounded on his tongue when he spoke in such hushed tones “Humans have a scent that differs from other species such as vampires, but they are not all the same. A vampire can detect the blood type of a human from their smell. But each human is slightly different. I suppose it could be compared to different dishes with the same main ingredient but different spices.” Godric looked like he regretted comparing humans to food and glanced at me to gauge my reaction.   
I smiled to show I wasn’t offended by his word choice “so what about me then?”  
Godric leaned forward to brace his elbows on his knees. His fingers interlaced between his legs and Godric regarded them thoughtfully. “It is hard to describe little one” he mumbled, peeking up at me.   
I waited patiently as he gathered his thoughts. “It reminds me of rich chocolate perhaps.” Godric frowned, not happy with his description and glared at his hands for a moment. When he looked back he had a glint in his eye and a smile tugged at the corner of his lips “you smell like sin, Alyssa. Tempting, and dangerous.”  
I quirked my head at him “Thank you?” I questioned not able to keep myself from smiling back at him.   
Godric chuckled, a deep sound that resonated in his chest and sent a thrill down my spine. “I should allow you to rest, little one. I have the feeling that tomorrow will be a tiring day” Godric stood from the couch and offered me his hand.   
I placed my hand in his and let him tug me up. But my feet twisted unexpectedly and I was sent stumbling forward. Godric caught me easily and for the second time that night I found myself in Godric’s arms. His hands gripped my waist to steady me and mine grasped his shoulders. I let out a small noise of surprise as I hit his chest.   
“I’m so sorry Godric!” I apologized hastily, drawing back as soon as I had regained my footing “I lost my balance. Thank you for catching me!”  
Godric shrugged it off and let his hands drop “it is not your fault, dear Alyssa, perhaps I used more force than I had counted on.”  
I rubbed the back of my neck self-consciously and nodded “even still, thank you for catching me.”  
Godric gave me a wry look “it was my pleasure, little one.”  
I hummed, unsure of how to respond, and walked him to the door. “Have a good day-rest Godric” I mumbled as he stepped out of my apartment door.   
“Good bye little one” Godric said before turning to walk down my hall.  
I shut the door slowly behind him and slid the lock into place. In my room I quickly stripped then slipped on a loose cotton t-shirt. I had an awful time in trying to sleep and subsequently spent most of the early morning tossing and turning in my bed. When I did finally fall asleep it was to the sound of Evan beginning her day.   
I woke in the afternoon only to realize that the sun would be going down fairly soon and I had promised to meet Godric at Fangtasia at six. It would give us several hours before I needed to start setting up for the night. I showered hastily and let my hair dry as I did my makeup. I dressed in a long black skirt made of flowing material with a slit on one side that almost reached my hip and a blood red midriff top. With a bit of time to spare, I made myself a quick dinner and ate in front of my lap top. I had been spending so many of my nights at Fangtasia that I slept most of the day and hadn’t had much time to finish editing the photos I had taken at my last appointment. I managed to complete them and sent an email to the family that they would receive their photos in the mail in the next couple days. Safely burnt onto a disk I would drop them off at a postal box on my way out.   
The door was unlocked when I arrived and I opened it as little as possible to slip through, not sure if Godric would still be in the basement or in the main room. He was not there when I walked in but appeared soon after the door closed.   
“Good evening Alyssa” Godric greeted.   
I raised a hand to him by way of greeting and tossed my purse behind the bar where I usually kept it while working. “How was your rest, Godric?”   
“Peaceful, thank you. And how was your day?” Godric asked politely, leaning idly against the bar.   
I shrugged, not willing to admit I had just gotten up a couple of hours ago. “Well enough, I was able to finish editing the photos from my last shoot and mail them today.”  
Godric’s eyebrows raised curiously “I was not aware that you were a photographer. What kind of camera do you use?”   
I was surprised with his question and wondered how much Godric knew about cameras. I had to admit that it wouldn’t surprise me to find out that Godric was very proficient in technology though I had rarely seen him with even a phone in his hand. “I have two that I regularly use depending on my purpose. One is a Pentax k1000, it’s an old school film camera; fully manual SLR. The other is a Canon EOS 5DS. Whoever had it before me was a bit rough with it but it’s my go to as far as shooting for clients” I explained.   
Godric asked several questions about my photography and my preferences as far as film over digital. He noted that though he had a basic knowledge of the differences in camera types, photography had never been a hobby of his.   
It was quite some time later that Godric suggested we begin the reason I had come early. He led me down to the basement to my surprise. I had never been down there before and had thought that a vampires resting spot would have been much more secretive. I asked Godric as much and he smiled gently at me over his shoulder “very few people are welcomed in a vampires resting space, you are correct. But I trust you, little one, as does my progeny.”  
The basement was much bigger than the club itself. The stairs opened up into what looked like a typical unfinished basement though there were suspicious stains on the concrete floor that I tried not to think too hard about. Tucked around the corner was a thick steel door that I had almost overlooked. Godric punched a code in to the panel in the wall causing the door to swing open after a moment. Past the door was a drastic change from the cold concrete of the first room. The floor was covered in a dark stone tile and the walls were a pale green. The room was furnished with several chairs and two television screens. The bigger of the two was off and the other displayed the security feed for the club above us. A small kitchenette sat to my right with a huge stainless steel fridge, a gas stove, and a sink. Three dark wood doors were spaced around the room leading to what I assumed were sleeping quarters.   
“The others will be rising shortly but I thought it would be best to practice away from the bar supplies” Godric informed me, his eyes glued to my face as I absorbed the room.   
I nodded in agreement “what exactly are we going to do?”  
Godric had me sit down in a chair and placed a glass on the coffee table positioned in front of me. “Your ability seems linked to your emotions and is largely unconscious. I believe if you can bring what you are doing into your conscious mind, eventually you will no longer need to be in emotional distress in order to conjure them” Godric explained to me “this is however, only a theory.”   
I thought over what he had proposed and had to agree with him. There was just one problem. “But I am not in emotional distress” I pointed out.   
“It would be simpler if you could be glamoured as I could put you in a controlled state of distress. But as it is, you will have to create these feelings on your own. Try, perhaps, to think of a time you were very frightened. Remember how it feels and concentrate that feeling into moving the glass in front of you” Godric advised.   
I was easily able to think of being frightened. Most of my childhood had been spent in a state of terror. Doing as he suggested, I tried to remember the way I had felt. I remembered the bile that would rise in my throat and the hard knot that would twist in my gut. My skin would break out in goosebumps and sweat would break out across my forehead. Yes, it was easy to remember being afraid. Godric was watching me earnestly and I realized that the television was rattling on its wall mount. I pressed my lips together and focused my concentration on the glass, pushing all those feelings at it. Without warning, the glass flew off the table and hit the wall. The glass shattered into tiny pieces, raining onto the stone floor in an almost musical way.   
I flinched in surprise and my hands flew up to my mouth. “Oh my god, I am so sorry! I didn’t think it would…I didn’t mean for it to…I’m sorry!” I stumbled over my words, staring with wide eyes at what was left of the glass.   
Godric was staring at me in surprise. His dark eyes blinked and his face cleared a moment later “There is no need to apologize little one. That was very impressive. Only, perhaps next time try pushing less” he advised with an amused smile.   
I scrubbed a hand over my face and nodded “right. Ok, I can do that.”   
Godric flashed away only to return a moment later with several more glasses. He placed one in the spot of the previous glass, stacking the others at his feet. I was just about to concentrate on summoning those feelings again when one of the doors swung open.   
Eric walked into the main room clad in nothing but his boxers. My mouth popped open into a small ‘o’ of surprise and I couldn’t help taking in his impressive form. Eric caught me staring and flashed a wink at me.   
“Uh, watch the glass Eric” I mumbled, nodding to the shards a few feet from him.   
He only raised an eyebrow curiously at us before rolling his eyes and stalking over to the fridge. Inside, I realized, were several bags of blood like the kind seen in hospitals. I watched curiously as he filled a large pot with water and dropped the bag into it. Eric lit a burner on the stove and set the pot on it. Content to wait around in his boxers for the blood to warm up, he leaned against the counter to watch us. Eric waved a hand in our direction “don’t stop on my account.”  
I huffed at the thought of having an audience but turned back to the glass and started the process over again. I tried to push with increasing amounts of intensity in an attempt to get an idea of how much I needed to but it seemed like it was an on or off switch. I either had no effect or it went flying across the room.   
When I had repeated the same thing several times over I gave a frustrated cry and dropped my head into my hands. Godric patted my shoulder in an attempt to comfort me. “It will come, little one. You must remember that this is only your first night.”  
I shook my head and groaned. I couldn’t see how I was ever going to get better. We had been at it for over an hour and I had made no progress.   
Pam saved another glass from destruction by throwing her door open. She was dressed in what looked like a leather suit-dress that complimented her curves nicely and a blood red blazer created a nice contrast. I was surprised to see a bright pink gift bag swinging delicately from her manicured fingers.   
“Good, you’re here already” She drawled when she saw me, dropping the bag at my feet.   
I glanced from her to the bag in confusion “is this for me, Pam? You got me a present?” I asked incredulously.   
Pam rolled her eyes and went about examining her nails “don’t make a big deal out of it. I’m not your new best friend or whatever. So don’t expect us to have slumber parties or do each other’s nails. Just open it.”  
I suppressed a grin and picked up the bag. Wrapped in the tissue paper was a black box the size of the palm of my hand. Removing the lid revealed a beautiful hair clip that made me suck in my breath in shock. It was made of rose gold shaped into a flower with the petals made of glittering sapphires. Delicate lines of gold flared out from the flower in an intricate pattern, small sapphire droplets hanging from the ends. The clip secured in the hair with tines like a comb. I held it carefully in my hand “It’s gorgeous, Pam. I’ve never seen anything like it” I breathed.   
“Of course you haven’t. It is a one of a kind antique so be careful with it.” Pam shrugged as if it was as special as something found at the dollar store “besides, there’s more in there.”  
I couldn’t imagine what else she could have possibly gotten me but further digging revealed another box, this one long and made for holding a necklace, and folded fabric. I opened the box first to reveal a necklace in the shape of a crescent moon with a teardrop shaped Sapphire dangling from its tip. It looked like an antique as well. I flashed an awed grin up at Pam but she wasn’t even watching me. She had walked away as if she was bored with the proceedings and was inspecting the blood in Eric’s glass.   
Carefully, I placed the necklace down and pulled the fabric out. It revealed itself to be a gown. The top was made of golden yellow lace that covered the important bits of the bodice but was sparse in other areas and held together by a sheer fabric. The bottom was a rich navy blue satin empire waist.   
“I don’t deserve these Pam, this is way too much!” I gaped at her.   
Pam rolled her eyes at me and fixed me with a bored glare “Just accept them Human, and we can call it even between us.” Her expression made it seem as if she could be talking about the weather but her tone had an undercurrent of warning to it that made me decide against questioning her any more.   
“Well thank you then. These are all amazing!” I sighed, stroking the soft fabric of the dress’s skirt.   
I could tell she was trying to hide it, but she seemed pleased that I liked the gifts. Moving on, she went about preparing her own drink.   
“Shall we continue, little one?” Godric prompted, a gentle expression on his face.   
I nodded and returned my focus to the glass in front of me. 

We continued to work in a similar manner every day; I would come over several hours before sunrise, Godric and I would practice until I needed to start working and then he would walk me home at the end of the night, congratulating me on what miniscule progress we had made.   
By the time Godric had walked me home after nearly a week of our routine I had been able to not only push the glass to the other end of the table. We had spent the entire night trying to master moving the glass without having to look at it. In theory it should have been no more difficult. I could pick things up with my hands without seeing them so the same should apply or at least that’s what we thought. Instead, I either couldn’t move anything or when I did, rather that affecting a single object I would send everything in that direction flying.   
Godric escorted me to the door several hours before the sun came up and I was nearly falling asleep trying to open the door. Seeing that I was having troubled, Godric deftly took the keys from my hands and unlocked the door for me. He drew me into his arms, as had been become a routine for us over the past week. I certainly wasn’t going to complain about spending a few seconds with him wrapped around me. I rested my cheek on his shoulder briefly. His arms, cold and strong around my ribs, pulled me against him and he sighed.   
“Have a good day-rest Godric” I mumbled into the side of his neck.   
Godric released me “thank you Alyssa. Enjoy your day as well.”  
I smiled tiredly and waved as he turned to leave the apartment.   
Safely inside, I stumbled into my bedroom and changed into a cotton night gown. I folded myself under the sheets a minute later and was asleep in no time. 

Something foul smelling pressing against my face woke me up some time later and I reeled back in an attempt to get away from it. My eyes flew open in shock to see two figures looming over my bed. I sucked in a breath to scream but a cloth was firmly shoved into my face. I realized that the cloth was soaked in whatever it was that stunk so badly and it was making my head spin. I flailed wildly at the figure holding the cloth against my face but they hardly reacted even as I clawed at their skin. It was cold and made me realize that they were vampires. I tried to scream around the cloth and threw as much as I could around the room at them. I could hear one of them curse and duck around my alarm clock.   
Black spots floated above my eyes, I was going to pass out. Whatever was on the cloth was a sedative of some sort. I did everything I could to keep from passing out but I could only fight it for so long before the world went black.


	7. Chapter 7

Evan woke up in the morning and knew almost instantly that something was wrong. Hastily throwing on her house coat, Evan rushed into her sister’s room. Her hand flew to her mouth and her heart raced when she saw that her sister was missing. The sun had risen hours ago so she should have been home. The sheets were tangled showing that she had been sleeping there at one point. Evan ran back into her room to check her phone, hoping desperately that Alyssa had left her a message. When none were there she called Alyssa’s phone. Evan’s heart sank in her chest at the sound of her sister’s ring tone chiming in the other room.   
She had been home then, but sometime between being dropped off by Godric and now she had disappeared. Evan searched around the apartment for some sign of what could have happened. Had there perhaps been another emergency that had caused her to rush out without her phone again? Evan dialed the number for Fangtasia with shaking fingers. It went to voicemail after ringing for what felt like an eternity.   
“Hi, this is Alyssa’s sister Evan. You need to call me back as soon as you get this. Alyssa is missing and I need to know if you know where she is” Evan’s voice shook over the line as she rattled off her phone number. She knew the vampires wouldn’t be up until much later in the day but they were probably her best bet at finding her sister.   
Evan had to force herself not to cry. She would find her sister. Whatever had happened, Evan had to keep telling herself that Alyssa would make it home safe and in one piece. She didn’t think she would be able to function if she allowed herself to think of any of the other alternatives.   
Evan told herself it was possible that Alyssa would walk through the door at any minute, apologizing for forgetting her phone again. So Evan waited, just in case. She made breakfast including a bit for her sister in case she wanted some when she got home. When the pancakes started to get cold Evan put them in the fridge, dumping her own syrup soaked ones in the garbage. Evan went and got dressed, spending extra time on her hair. But when lunch time rolled around and still there had been no sign of Alyssa, Evan admitted she had just been stalling.   
So she went down to the police station to file a missing persons report but the cop was entirely unhelpful. He had no sympathy for Evan and just told her she had probably gone out with friends and crashed there or met a boy. Evan denied these theories outright. Alyssa had friends, sure. But she rarely went out with them and besides she had been home at one point. The officer put forth his theory about her sneaking out to see a boy again but Evan vehemently shook her head. The only boy she would be sneaking out to see, she explained, was Godric and considering he was certainly not awake and had in fact walked her home, he seemed an unlikely culprit.   
The police officer had clearly drawn his own conclusions but started asking questions so that she could file a report. But when he circled back to asking about her involvement with the vampires and didn’t take any other grim possibilities into account, Evan called it off. The last thing she needed was for them to investigate Godric and the others. She needed their help more than she needed to file a missing persons report. Evan pretended that she had seen the officer’s point and would wait a little while longer to file the report. The officer seemed overly satisfied with her conclusion and Evan stormed out before she made some unhelpful comments about his work ethic.   
Evan stood outside the police office trying to decide what her next move was when her cellphone buzzed in her pocket. The hope that had risen in her chest at the thought that Alyssa could be calling her died as she saw an unfamiliar number flash across the screen.   
“Hello?” She answered, walking down the street if only to keep moving.   
Godric’s usually smooth voice was tense as he spoke “Evan. Tell me what you know” he ordered.   
Evan gaped for a moment. The sun was still bright and high in the sky, how was he awake and talking to her? “Ah, not much really. I woke up and Alyssa was gone. Her cell phone was still there and she had been sleeping in her bed.”  
Godric cursed in a language Evan didn’t recognize “I need you to come to Fangtasia immediately. Are you able to do that?”  
Evan nodded even though he couldn’t see and promised to be there as soon as she could. She waved down the nearest cab and gave him the address. “It’s very important that I get there as quickly as possible” she urged him.   
If the cab driver drove any faster than usual Evan certainly didn’t notice. It felt like an eternity before they were pulling into the deserted parking lot of Fangtasia. She hastily passed the cab driver a couple of bills without waiting for him to tell her how much she owed him. She was pulling the door open a moment later. As soon as the door shut Godric was standing in front of her. A thin trail of blood was running down his nose.   
“What happened? Are you okay?” Evan asked, touching her own nose to show what she meant.   
Godric raised his hand to wipe the blood away “I am not injured. But I am up before it is normal and therefore have day-bleeds. It is not important” Godric explained, waving away her concern.   
Evan nodded, willing to put the matter aside. It was far more important to figure out where her sister was rather than worry about Godric being up early.   
“I was woken this afternoon because of my bond with Alyssa. It was then that I got your message and one other one. You should hear it, child” Godric informed her as he turned to lead her to the telephone that hung on the wall.   
Evan decided it was not the time to correct him in calling her ‘child’. They had more important things to do. Godric pressed a couple of buttons on the phone and held it out between them. She first heard her message play off and then:  
“Fangers, we have your slut. If you want her to live, then you will come to us to be sacrificed. If not, well, maybe the fang banging slut won’t mind being used a bit before we slit her throat tomorrow morning.” A guttural man’s voice sneered.   
Evan’s hands covered her mouth in shock “who are they? Oh my god, what are we going to do? Godric we have to save her!”   
Godric’s face told her that whatever they did, it was not going to be good. “I believe they are the fellowship of the sun. Perhaps you have heard of them on the news? They are a church against vampires known for their radical- frequently violent- methods” the look of murderous intention on his face somehow made Evan feel better. She was not alone then, in being determined to get her sister back at all costs.   
“What’s our game plan?” Evan demanded.   
Godric pinched the bridge of his nose and scowled at the floor. After a moment he took a deep breath and regarded her thoughtfully. “I had planned to simply exchange myself for your sister.”  
Evan shook her head “you can’t do that Godric. There must be another way to save her. Alyssa would kill us both if you did that. No, we’ll come up with something else.”  
Godric had thought Alyssa’s sister would say something along those lines. A part of him was glad to have her to help figure out their next moves. He would have gladly turned himself over in order to release the young bartender but Evan was right, she would have been furious. More to the point was the look on her face several nights before when she had said that one of those painful memories she had been using to channel her powers was when he had been prepared to meet the sun. He would make sure she returned safely and her captors would quickly learn what it meant to threaten those close to him. It would be a lengthy endeavor, to properly show them, but he found himself grimly plotting what he could do to them after he had Alyssa back even as he tried to figure out how he would do that.   
There was the chance, Evan had pointed out that simply storming the church could lead to them killing Alyssa or hurting her to make them stop. And then they would have Alyssa and Godric. So they would have to make sure she was safe first.   
Eric had forced himself up to join them and he added his two-cents-worth to the conversation. It wasn’t until he thought of calling Sookie to help that they started to make progress. Eric had proposed sending Sookie in while the sun was still out in order to scout out the church. They might know what Evan looked like so she would have to wait with the vampires. Sookie agreed immediately to help and was off from Bon Temps as soon as she hung up the phone. She would be cutting it close to sundown by the time she was able to get there and scout around. Eric allotted her an hour to find her way around before they would start to worry. When they heard from Sookie it would be a short drive to the church which was based several towns over. They would first secure Alyssa and then deal with the church members.   
Evan was not happy to have to wait. She couldn’t stand it in fact and spent the majority of the time pacing up and down the small apartment underneath Fangtasia. She snapped out questions every couple of minutes, wondering about how they would prepare.   
“I want a gun. Eric, get me a gun” Evan demanded, turning a cold glare onto the tall vampire.   
Eric raised an eyebrow curiously at her “do you even know how to fire a gun?”   
Evan shrugged “I’ve seen it done. You just point, aim, and squeeze the trigger. I know there’s a kick-back and you can just show me how to reload it.”   
Eric crossed his arms “it’s not that easy, human. And you do not need a gun.”   
“You don’t know that! I want to be able to protect myself and my sister. Give me a gun Eric!” Evan snapped at him, stamping her foot angrily.   
“Just give the girl one of your pistols, Eric. She may need it yet. At least armed, we will not have to watch her as well as retrieve her sister.” Godric sighed in frustration.   
Eric pressed his lips into a thin line, making it clear he did not agree with arming the teenage girl with a weapon she did not know how to use. But he zipped away at his maker’s behest and returned a moment later with a thick black pistol in his hand. Voice strained, he explained the workings of the gun and had Evan demonstrate the proper firing stance several times over. The last thing they needed, he thought, was for her to knock herself on her ass while trying to defend herself.   
Pam had watched the lot of them from the comfort of a couch. She sat reclined in the couch, her face the picture of bored relaxation. But the tension in her shoulders and the too-tight grip of her fingers around her glass belied the apparent comfort.   
Godric was growing frustrated with waiting idly by while who knows what happened to his Alyssa. He probed their bond every couple of minutes to monitor her. She was tense and scared but he could sense a ball of anger in her. There was a sudden spike in her fear along with the sharp sensation of pain. He could not stand knowing she was feeling these things and being helpless. With an angry snarl he picked up a glass vase and threw it across the room. It shattered in a spray of water and glass. Godric’s fists clenched and unclenched at his sides, a ferocious expression on his face. The three others regarded him in surprise.   
It had been a long time since Eric had seen his maker react in such a way and a small part of him, underneath the concern for the human he had begun to like, was glad to see his maker showing emotion once again. Godric had been acting much differently in the past couple of weeks. He had been making quite a turn around since the rooftop incident. But he had noticed a marked difference in his demeanor whenever Alyssa was present. When she was not there the neutral mask Godric had been wearing for nearly a century had a habit of falling back into place. He was more talkative and lively, there was no doubt. But when the strange human was present, it was like the Godric he had known was back as well. He teased Eric and Pam, smiled and laughed even. It had been too long since he had last seen his maker laugh. He was not sure what Alyssa was nor what she was doing to his maker, but he was thankful. That, Eric realized, made it all the more important that they get the girl back.   
His cell phone finally buzzed in his pocket making everyone watch expectantly as he quickly answered and put the phone on speaker.   
“Sookie” Eric greeted.   
Sookie’s voice came through the phone, her tone reflecting the tense atmosphere in the apartment. “I’m a few minutes away from the church I just pulled over but I’m heading to you guys as soon as I hang up. They’re getting ready for vampires for sure. They wouldn’t tell me what was happening but there’s silver everywhere and everyone is armed with stakes” Sookie warned.   
No one was surprised by the news, it only made sense that they would be preparing for angry vampires. Evan knew it wouldn’t make a difference to the three vampires, some silver and stakes wouldn’t stop them from charging in there to rescue her sister. But they would have to be careful if they wanted to avoid being captured in the process. All it would take was a silver net dropped on them and they would be done for. Everyone would have to be watching each other’s back.   
“Did you see where they are keeping Alyssa?” Godric questioned.   
“Not exactly. I know they’re keeping her in the basement. There’s a door that locks from the inside and everyone was pretty careful to steer clear of it. I caught a man thinking about her though. They’re keeping her in a storage closet down there, there will be a couple of people guarding the door” Sookie informed them.   
Evan thought the information over “what are we going to do then? Walking in the front door isn’t going to get us very far. They’ll have you guys wrapped in silver in no time.”  
“Why don’t Evan and I sneak in? I can say I forgot my purse there” Sookie suggested.   
Eric was the first to add to her idea “Pam will join you in case you run into trouble. Godric and I will break into the basement while they are busy and dispatch whoever is guarding Alyssa.”  
Sookie promised to be there as soon as she could as it was only a short drive from the church to Shreveport. They hashed out the details of their plan as they waited for Sookie’s arrival, glad to finally have something solid to focus on.   
The sound of the door above them slamming open caught everyone’s attention and they rushed up to meet Sookie. She drew out a map of the church, pointing out several locations she thought would be good for the vampires to slip into the basement. The sun had started to set by the time they were confident in their plans. As soon as it was safe for the vampires to go outside, Eric and Godric scooped the humans into their arms and the group set off as fast as they were able in the direction of the fellowship of the sun.   
It was a fairly small church, an echo of the main one in Dallas. They stopped at the driveway and the women set off for the front door. There were still a handful of cars parked in the lot and the church was lit up like it was still the middle of the day. Sookie pushed the large wooden doors open and peeked her head inside.   
“Hello?” She called out and the trio waited as footsteps approached.   
“Well hi there! It was Sookie, right? What brings you back at such a late hour?” A friendly male voice answered.   
He was slim and dressed in worn jeans and a fellowship t-shirt. His smile faltered slightly as he took in the two women on either side of Sookie.   
“Sorry to bother y’all. It’s just that I left my purse here I think and as it’s got my cellphone in it, it’s pretty important I find it” Sookie informed him.   
He considered her for a moment and stepped aside to let the three into the church. “Well in that case, I’m glad I stayed late. I haven’t seen it around here but you’re welcome to look. Who are your friends here?”   
Sookie put on an embarrassed expression “oh how rude of me! This is my cousin Alice and my roommate Tracy! Tracy had to drive us here, you see, on account of me not having my license. And Alice happens to be visiting from Dallas and wanted to tag along!” Sookie introduced.  
“I’m a member of the Fellowship there and I just couldn’t resist visiting yours while I was in town” Pam drawled with a fake smile.   
The man seemed convinced enough but Sookie delved into his mind to be sure. He was too preoccupied with the preparations for Godric coming to pay much attention to three girls. She had been convincing enough earlier, she realized, that he didn’t think of her as anything more than a pretty- if not a bit daft- girl who had learned about vampires the hard way.   
He motioned them in and suggested several spots for Sookie to look before walking away down the hall. Watched him until she was sure he was out of sight. They went about ‘searching’ for several minutes to give Godric and Eric some time to get ready before they put their plan into motion. Pam made a show of checking the balcony that overlooked the top of the church. With a dramatic sigh she pulled herself over the edge of the balcony and brought herself down to dangle. It would have been hard to execute if someone had been watching them since it wasn’t very common for someone to lean over the balcony and fall. But with no one paying much attention to the three girls, it wouldn’t raise any eyebrows until it was too late. When Pam was satisfied with how precariously she was dangling from the railing she let out a high pitched scream. Sookie and Evan echoed it a moment later and ran over to her.   
Footsteps pounded down the hallway and a small crowd burst into the room.   
“Oh my god! Help! Alice! Hold on!” Sookie screamed, reaching up her arms as if to try and reach the blond vampire.  
Evan turned to face the crowd with her most panicked expression “Someone do something! Please! Before she falls!”   
Pam made a show of one of her hands slipping off the bars. The people watching gasped and rushed forward. Two shot up the stairs with the intention of reaching over to grab her. With everyone effectively distracted, Pam sent Eric his cue. 

Godric and Eric had found a window that would be big enough for them both to fit through at the rear of the building. It would be a tight squeeze for Eric especially but he knew he could manage. The window was attached to what looked like a rec room. The lights were off but streetlights surrounded the church and cast some light into the room below. It would be the perfect entrance point for them once Pam let them know that the humans on the main floor were distracted. The waiting was killing Godric. Every second they waited was another second that Alyssa was in danger. He had been feeling spikes of panic and fear since he had first woken and it felt as if each pang gnawed at his insides. It was his fault that his human was in danger again.   
Godric tried to occupy his mind in trying to pinpoint at what time he had started thinking of the woman as his. She was not, nor did he think she would particularly like the idea of him claiming her. But regardless of this knowledge he couldn’t help but claim her if only in his own mind.   
She had awoken feelings in him that had been dormant for almost a century. Never before had he felt such a desire to mark a human as his. Not since the making of his progenies had he felt so protective of someone.   
Eric giving him a thumbs up shook him from his thoughts. It was time to move, he could contemplate these new changes when Alyssa was safe once again.   
Eric removed his jacket and wrapped it around his fist to quiet the shattering of the window. He spared a few seconds to clear the majority of glass out of the frame before sliding through. It was an awkward procedure as his shoulders hardly fit. But once in, he dusted the glass from his clothes, the minor scrapes they had caused healing almost instantly and stepped aside for his maker.   
Godric slid through with considerably more grace and didn’t pause before stalking over to the door. Eric at the ready, Godric reached to swing the door open.   
Alyssa’s scream rang down the hallway and sent a chill down Godric’s spine. Both vampire’s fangs dropped down with a hiss and they burst through the door and into the hallway beyond


	8. Chapter 8

I woke with a start, sucking in air in big gulps as I tried to figure out what happened. My stomach dropped when I tried to move my hands and found that they were bound behind me. My legs as well had been bound together at my ankles. With a grunt I pulled myself up into a sitting position and shook the hair from my face. My shoulder ached from laying awkwardly on it and I wondered how long I had been unconscious this time. I had woken up several times since I had been abducted.   
I had quickly discovered that there were people guarding the closet I was being held in and they had no problem in making sure I didn’t cause any trouble.   
I had originally had my hands duct taped in front of me and tape over my mouth. It had taken me all of five minutes to tear the tape off of my mouth and then pull it away from my hands with my teeth. I had rushed out of the small closet without hesitating. Both my captors and I had learned a lesson from that.   
The next time I had woken to my hands tied behind my back and around the base of one of the shelves that lined either side of the closet.   
That time I had screamed my heart out hoping that we were somewhere where someone might have heard me, though I knew it was a slim chance. They had quickly rushed in and I had taken the opportunity to try and get information from them.   
They hadn’t been forthcoming by any means but I had managed to get enough out of them to know that I was just being used as bait for the vampires. It was simultaneously a relief to hear and made a cold feeling settle in my gut. I couldn’t let them get their hands on Godric or Eric. Godric was doing so much better these past days. A small part of me doubted they would risk coming to rescue me if it meant the chance of these people trying to kill them. But at the same time I knew that they wouldn’t just let these people kill me. And there was Evan as well. She would be looking for me. I could only hope that they kept her safe.   
It had taken me what felt like a whole day to wear the cloth down against the sharp edge of the shelf enough to break them. My wrists were absolutely raw. I had waited until my guard moved away from the door for my chance. He would have to eat or use the bathroom at some point and all I needed was a couple seconds to get out and then I would figure out the rest. So when his shadow moved away from the door I had counted off a minute before wrenching on the door handle. I had expected it to be locked and used the adrenaline that pumped through me at having a chance to escape to fuel my powers. The lock had snapped open and I had darted out into the hallway. I didn’t get more than three feet before someone threw me to the ground. It was just enough time to get a good look at my surroundings. I screamed and kicked with all my might, dragging my nails down the man’s face as hard as I could.   
His fist landed in my gut, knocking the wind out of me, and then across my face where it had swollen up from earlier that morning.   
Black spots swam across my eyes. He took advantage of me being stunned to grip my hair and slam my head off of the hard floor.   
And thus I had found myself once again tied up in the closet. Voices were arguing outside of my door, egging on the pounding headache that made it hard to concentrate. My ears were ringing and I shook my head again in the hopes of dispelling the feeling.   
I blinked hard, trying to figure out what my next move was going to be. Clearly there were more people out there than I had anticipated and there was no chance of me being able to overpower them. But could I really just wait here in the hopes of being rescued?   
I summoned my strength and imagined the bindings on my wrists being torn, just like picturing the glass in Godric’s apartment moving without being able to see it. The sound of rending fabric greeted my ears a moment later. A small thrill of satisfaction ran through me as I brought my hands around to my front and massaged the sore joints of my shoulders. I quickly untied my feet and felt better for at least not being tied up. I stood and swayed harshly, catching myself on one of the shelves. I took several deep breaths while I regained my balance before taking stock of what was on the shelves.   
I hadn’t tried to lift more than one thing before but if I could get enough things going then perhaps I would be able to distract the guards long enough to get away.   
I did my best, eyes squinting into a glare as I focused. One of the books on the shelf quivered as if being stirred by a breeze but nothing else happened. I pushed with all my might at the row of objects in front of me and nothing happened.   
Sweat had broken out across my forehead with the effort of it yet still the most I could do was shift them a couple of inches. That wouldn’t get me anywhere. I flopped back down to the ground and put my head in my hands.   
I didn’t have to worry for very long as several minutes later the door swung open. I hopped up as quickly as I could, swaying dangerously for a moment.   
“Come on” a slim man with features that screamed ‘average’ commanded, motioning me out of the closet.   
He was a head or so taller than me, wearing a plain grey shirt and jeans. When I hesitated he reached in and grabbed my upper arm roughly, yanking me along.   
“Where are we going?” I questioned, stumbling after him.   
The man yanked on my arm harder, causing me to stumble “shut up” he snapped.   
I pulled back, digging my heels in “no! Tell me where you’re taking me!” I demanded, trying to get my hand free.   
“When the fuck did you get out of your restraints?” He growled, trying to catch my other hand in his. Growing quickly frustrated, he slammed me back against the wall, stunning me for a moment. I paused just long enough for him to grab both of my wrists. A man rushed forward and wrapped several layers of duct tape around them. Satisfied, the first man changed his grip to my hair and pulled me along.   
I let out a pained gasp and grabbed at his wrist to prevent him from yanking my hair out but I was forced to follow after him.   
He turned sharply down a hall and pushed a door open. The room looked like a college dorm room and it made me wonder how often they had people stay overnight to have rooms like this on hand. I wondered also for a moment, why I hadn’t been kept in there to begin with but I supposed there were too many things in here that could be construed as a weapon either to hurt them or myself. It left the question then, why had they brought me there?   
He pushed me roughly onto the bed and stood in front of me with his hands on his hips. I noticed then, the holster on his belt and my stomach dropped. If he was armed, I didn’t stand a chance against him.   
“Now, you’re going to answer some questions and maybe I’ll let you live until your vampire gets here before I kill you both” he curled his lip at me.   
I summoned what courage I had and sat up straight, setting him with a glare “I’m not going to tell you jack shit.”  
The man backhanded me, causing me to fall against the bed. Slowly, I pulled myself up and pushed the hair out of my face. I returned my glare to him and waited.   
“You’re going to tell me where they sleep during the day” he demanded, raising his hand again in threat.   
I shook my head “I don’t know where they sleep.” I was braced this time, for the strike, but it still sent me reeling. When I straightened, I tasted blood. I drew my lip into my mouth, sucking on it for a minute before spitting the blood at him.   
He cursed and struck me again, the blow smacking against my temples. “Where do they sleep you dumb bitch?” He bellowed.   
“I don’t know!” I exclaimed.   
“Oh right. I’m sure a little slut like you has never been in his bed” The man scoffed at me. “We’ve been watching you, you know. We know you’re at that vile bar every night with them.”  
The thought of them stalking me for who knows how long sent a chill through me but I pushed it away. I could freak out later. I needed to survive this first. “If you’ve been watching me, then you know I haven’t spent the day there” I pointed out.   
“But you must know where they spend their day. And you’re going to tell me. I’ll get the young one tonight but the blond is going to be next” He informed me. I could only assume by young one he meant Godric and Eric would be his next target.   
“Well I don’t! They don’t exactly go throwing that information around” I made my tone as condescending as possible.   
The man grasped me by my hair, forcing me to stand before drawing his hand back and punching me in the gut. I fell to the ground with a groan and curled up into the fetal position. I felt like I was going to throw up.   
He paced up and down the room, kicking me in the side as he reached me again “you really are of no use to me then. Well, no more use than as bait. I could just shoot you now and they wouldn’t know until it was too late” he mused.   
I coughed, struggling to catch my breath. “I have a bond with Godric. He will know if you kill me” I gasped. In reality I had no idea whether or not that was still true. He had said the bond wouldn’t last very long since I hadn’t taken much of his blood but I had never asked about it after that, just kind of forgotten it as the dreams became fewer and farther between.   
The man sneered down at me “stupid fangbanging slut” he leered. He grabbed a fistful of my hair and pulled me up again, tossing me back onto the bed. “I guess we can have some fun then, while we wait. Do you think your vampire will be able to sense that?” He mocked, shoving me onto my back.   
The realization of what he intended to do made my stomach drop and my eyes widen. I began struggling and kicking immediately, trying to get away from him as best I could. He was on top of me before I could really get away, his legs pushed in between mine and he pulled my bound hands up over my head. I screamed as loudly as I could in his ear and he smacked me again, opening up the cut on my lip. His hand pushed its way between my thighs and groped at my panties.   
I squirmed wildly around, trying to find some way of getting him off me when the gun brushed against my thigh. He was distracted fumbling with his zipper so I focused all my energy on the gun. It rose shakily from the holster and pointed towards his head.   
The sound of a confrontation outside the door barely registered as I turned the safety off. The sound caught his attention as well. He froze and looked up. The sight of his gun floating in mid-air aimed at his forehead made his eyes widen. Shock covered his face and he gaped at the gun.   
“What the fuck?” he questioned, eyes glued to the weapon in front of him.   
“Get the fuck off of me” I growled.   
Slowly, he backed away, raising his hands up in surrender. His gaze switched between me and the gun, not knowing what to do. After a moment’s hesitation, I narrowed my eyes at him and pulled the trigger. I was just tearing through the tape around my wrists when the door slammed open. I trained the gun on the door without even thinking about it “don’t come any closer” I warned in a low voice.  
My voice had lost any shake that had previously been there and I squared my shoulders as I glared up at the two men in the doorway without registering what they looked like other than one was very tall and the other only slightly taller than me.   
Their hands raised up in surrender just as the man had before I had shot him and the taller one took a slow step into the room “Alyssa, calm down” he spoke as if trying to calm an animal.   
“I said don’t come any closer” I snapped, moving the gun forward in a threat.   
He continued to talk to me in a coaxing tone but I blocked out his words. I was starting to feel dizzy again and could feel myself swaying on the bed. It was taking all of my concentration just to keep the gun hovering in spot and even it shook faintly.   
“You’re going to let me go, right fucking now, do you understand? Or I’m going to shoot you both just like I shot this asshole” I ordered, nodding in the general direction of the body.   
The shorter one mumbled something to the taller and was gone in the next second. Arms wrapped around me, drawing me against a hard chest. I screamed, the gun going off in my surprise before clattering to the floor as I tried to wrestle off the person holding me. He was impossibly strong and even as I landed blows to his chest and face he didn’t react. I tired quickly, tears pouring down my face while sobs wracked my chest. It was only then that his voice registered.   
“Shh, little one. You are safe. No one is going to hurt you” Godric soothed, pushing his hands through my tangled hair.   
“Godric?” I gasped out his name.   
“Yes little one. I am here now. I am so sorry my dear Alyssa. This is all my fault.” He apologized.   
I didn’t have the energy to respond so I just curled into his lap and pushed my face into the crook of his neck. It dawned on me after a moment that he had been with another person, Eric, when he came in. I lifted my head and glanced around the room. Eric was kneeling by the door with blood all over his shirt. I thought most of it was from whoever had been guarding the door a moment ago but he had a hole in his shirt and blood was oozing out of it.   
“Eric! Are you okay?” I questioned.   
Eric glanced up at me with a worried look but pushed a smirk onto his face “fine, you just shot me. No big deal” he joked.   
My eyes widened and I began a stream of apologies. I didn’t stop until Eric raised his hand and rolled his eyes. “I will heal, Alyssa. It is of no concern. I’m impressed, really, that you were able to.”  
I watched tensely until the bullet pushed itself out of the wound, eliciting a grunt from Eric. A moment later the only evidence that it had happened was the hole in his shirt.   
“Come, they are running out of distraction. We must get Alyssa out of here” Eric prompted.  
Godric had been rubbing small circles into my back but pulled away at Eric’s words. “Can you walk, little one? I will carry you if you would prefer?”   
I shook my head “no, I think I can.”  
Godric gently helped me to my feet and let me walk a few steps. But I was swaying dangerously and had to catch myself on the end of the bed to keep from falling over “I’m really dizzy” I explained, embarrassed at my lack of coordination.   
Godric picked me up easily, cradling me in his arms. We zipped through the basement and Godric set me down at the base of a window. I glanced at him questioningly, wondering why he was sneaking us out after already killing a bunch of people.   
“It would be much more satisfying to slaughter every last person in this church but your sister and Sookie are also here. Pam will see them safely out and we will return another night” Godric explained grimly.   
I accepted his explanation and waited until Eric had pulled himself up through the window to make sure no one was around before allowing Godric to help me out as well. I thought in any other situation I wouldn’t like the idea of the two vampires murdering a bunch of people. But considering what the people involved had been willing to do, and would likely be even more determined to do now that Godric and Eric had killed some of their people, I couldn’t summon remorse at the thought of their deaths.   
Safely out of the church I took a deep breath and felt bile rise in the back of my throat. With barely time to give the vampires a warning, my chest heaved and I threw up against the side of the building. I threw up several times until my stomach was empty and I could do nothing more than dry heave until it passed.   
When I straightened and wiped my mouth off Godric was watching me with a concerned expression. “Did you hit your head, little one?” Godric asked, gently cupping the side of my face.   
I thought back and nodded “a couple times. My head was smacked against the floor a few times earlier.”  
Godric frowned at me “we should get you home.”   
He stepped forward and scooped me up. Eric was gone, I realized, looking around curiously. I asked Godric where he had gone and he explained that Eric had gone to make sure Pam, Evan, and Sookie had gotten out safely.  
I was glad that Pam would have backup in getting the other girls out of the church. Godric sped me home and I clutched at his shirt, my hair whipping in my face. Godric slowed outside of my apartment and I was only able to give him a small warning to set me down before I was throwing up again. When I was finished again, Godric wound his arm around my waist and pulled mine across his shoulders so that he could help me up the stairs rather than carrying me. I wanted nothing more than to build a cocoon out of my bed and stay under the sheets for several years. But first I needed to make sure Evan made it home safely.   
I desperately needed to change so Godric led me to my room and grabbed the clothes I had instructed him to while I slumped on the edge of my bed. He respectfully stepped out of the room while I changed the nightgown I had been wearing since the morning for a pair of flannel pants and a thick sweater. I slowly made my way to the living room with Godric hovering at my elbow in case I was hit with another wave of dizziness. I successfully made it to the couch and before I could ask, Godric was handing me a glass of water.   
I was finishing the last of it at Godric’s request when the door flew open and Evan rushed in. she was followed by Eric, Sookie, and Pam who were much less rushed to get into the apartment. Evan skidded into the living room and flung herself at me. Her arms wound around my waist. She curled around my knees, kneeling in front of me and I bent over her, clutching her as close as I could.   
She cried into my lap and I couldn’t help the tears that streamed down my cheeks in response. The events of the day were hitting me full force and I was soon sobbing uncontrollably.   
The others had stepped out of the living room to give us space and I could hear their voices coming from the other room. Evan pulled back after a moment to look at me. We both wiped the tears from our eyes and sniffed. It took me several minutes to get the crying under control again but every once and a while another tear slipped down my cheeks.  
“Don’t ever do that again! I was beside myself worrying about you!” Evan admonished, trying to put an angry look on her face.   
I gave her a shaky smile and nodded to her “I’ll try not to.” I affectionately pushed hair out of her face and sighed.   
The vampires came back into the room sometime later. Eric’s hand was balanced on Sookie’s shoulder I noticed, keeping her close to him even though they didn’t otherwise touch. Pam was doing her best to look bored but I thought I could detect some concern in her eyes and it made me feel good to know that despite her cold exterior she did care a little bit.   
“Are you okay Alyssa?” Sookie asked carefully “I mean, physically of course.”   
I paused to take stock of my injuries before I answered. My wrists were bruised from being tied up and I had more bruises covering the rest of my body. I thought I probably was going to have a black eye since I could tell my cheek was swelling already. Then there was the pounding headache I had and the dizziness. It wasn’t a good sign, was it? My head was fuzzy though and I couldn’t bring up why I thought it was abnormal. I listed off my injuries to Sookie and asked Evan to grab my a couple ibuprofen for my headache.   
“I think you likely have a concussion, little one” Godric informed me gently.


	9. Chapter 9

“A concussion? Can’t that be really serious?” Evan demanded, whirling to face the vampires.   
It was Eric who answered with a bland shrug, not overly concerned with my health it seemed. It made me feel slightly better to see how blasé he was about it. It had been one injury I had managed to avoid throughout my childhood but had been a constant threat. “You are conscious so that is a good sign. The nausea is worrying however.”  
“Should I be going to the hospital?” I questioned, watching for Godric’s reaction with worried eyes.   
He shook his head at me “no, I don’t believe there is a need. There is not much that can be done. You should rest and someone will have to wake you every couple hours to make sure you are alright” Godric explained “if it is acceptable I will stay with you until sun rise to do so.”  
Evan’s hand clasped mine firmly “I can keep an eye on you after that.”  
Pam scoffed at us “if you would just take more of Godric’s blood then you’d be good as new.”  
Godric pursed his lips at Pam, his expression unamused. He seemed displeased at the thought of giving me his blood again although he hadn’t hesitated to do so when I had been attacked. But then, I supposed, it had been much life threatening than a concussion. I could understand why he might not like the idea, considering he would be stuck feeling my emotions for an unknown amount of time. I wasn’t really sure I wanted to take his blood anyway.   
“I’ll be fine” I shrugged “I just need rest right? So there’s no need really.”  
Pam rolled her eyes at me “humans are so fragile. I don’t see the allure” she paused, looking me over with a considering expression “no offense meant, Alyssa. It just seems an awful lot of fuss to just die anyway.”  
I wasn’t sure if I should laugh or be offended so I decided not to comment. It must have shown on my face because Pam laughed. She left a moment later, flipping her hair over her shoulder and claiming she had more important things to do. Sookie hugged me a moment later as she had to work in the morning. Eric offered to make sure she got home safely and to my surprise Sookie actually seemed happy to have him. Eric led her out of my apartment with a hand on her elbow as if she might suddenly bolt in the other direction.   
“You should rest now, little one” Godric suggested.   
Evan helped me up and soon I was tucked into a warm cocoon of blankets. Godric perched on the edge of my bed. “Thank you Godric” I mumbled sleepily. Now that I wasn’t worried about surviving, I was crashing and it was suddenly hard to keep my eyes open.   
“Do not thank me little one, I am the reason that you were taken in the first place. Had it not been for your association with me none of this would have happened” Godric’s tone was dark. The depression in his voice was enough to give me the energy to sit up and grab his hand.  
Godric’s dark eyes were guilty as he looked at me from underneath his lashes. “Don’t blame yourself for this, Godric. Those guys were crazy and they would have grabbed anyone who spent time with any of you. I was just unlucky. What’s important is that you came for me and we’re both safely here” I reminded him “so don’t go down that whole ‘if I wasn’t here everything would be so much better’ path because that’s not true.”  
Godric hummed, looking away from me for a moment. “I am keeping you from your rest, Alyssa, please lay back down” he requested, his hand pushing gently on my shoulder.   
I sighed at his change of topic but I was too tired to fight with him about it and he would be there tomorrow night so that I could finish it. I was confident that he wasn’t going to run off into the sun at any rate. So I laid back into the pillows and let my eyes slide shut.   
I was just drifting to sleep when I felt Godric’s lips brush against my forehead. It almost surprised me enough to open my eyes again but I resisted. I didn’t want him to regret doing it if he thought I was already asleep. So I snuggled down further into my blankets and drifted off.   
They woke me up every couple of hours as Godric had promised, without trouble except that I was increasingly grumpy about it. The second time Evan woke me up I grumbled at her before rolling away and pulling the covers over my head. It must have been enough for her as she didn’t push me any further, just let me go back to sleep.   
Godric must have come back as soon as he was able because it was suddenly him shaking me awake rather than Evan. I was fully prepared to go back to sleep and spend the rest of the week in my bed but Godric wouldn’t let me.   
“You must wake up now, little one” Godric prodded gently.   
“I am awake and now I’m going back to sleep” I responded groggily, squinting at him.  
Godric shook his head, a small smile playing at the edge of his lips “I know you are still tired but I need you to stay awake.”  
I rubbed my eyes and sighed “I just want to sleep though.”  
“I know, little one. I am sorry I must wake you but I’m afraid it is important” Godric hummed and reached forward to push hair out of my face.   
My cheeks heated up as I realized what I must look like. I hadn’t cleaned up at all after getting back and had been tossing and turning since the middle of the night last night. I was in desperate need of a brush and toothpaste.   
“What’s going on?” I asked as I pulled myself out of bed. I was sore all over and my head was throbbing. I tilted for a dangerous moment before Godric caught my elbow and helped me stay standing.   
Godric frowned at the ground before raising his eyes to meet mine “the bodies of the fellowship of the sun church members were found this morning. Eric and I did our best to disguise the fact that their deaths were caused by vampires. But word has reached the Authority that Eric and myself were involved so we must meet with them to sort the matter out.   
“I would gladly leave you out of it, my dear one, but it will be best to bring you with us rather than them seeking you out on their own. Will an hour be sufficient to prepare yourself?” Godric asked.   
The Authority, I assumed, must be who vampires had to answer to. I had always figured that vampires must have someone keeping them in line, so it wasn’t a surprise to hear that I was right. Meeting them was a whole other matter though. What would they think of me and how would they react when they found out that Godric and Eric killed a bunch of humans to save me? What if they found out that I couldn’t be glamored? Godric had said it would be bad if other vampires knew that I was different and I didn’t want to find out how bad he really meant.   
I was starting to panic, my breath coming in quick gasps. Godric’s hand on my shoulder made me look at him and notice the concerned expression on his face.   
“Please do not panic, little one. I will keep not let anyone harm you. Nor will my progeny. But you must get ready. I doubt your pajamas would be appropriate for meeting with the authority” Godric reminded me.   
I looked down at what he was wearing and realized even he was dressed up compared to what he would normally wear. He had traded the loose cotton pants and tunic for a suit with a skinny tie and a jacket that looked like it had been made for him. It probably had been, I realized. Godric and Eric seemed to have enough money that they wouldn’t just buy any suit off the rack. I had never seen Godric look so formal. It was most certainly a good look on him.   
I mentally took stock of my wardrobe and wondered if I actually had anything that would be appropriate. The dress that Pam had given me came to mind and I told myself I would need to thank her again when I saw her next. It was the only thing that I owned that would make me look even vaguely well-dressed compared to the figure Godric cut in his suit. Plan in mind, I rushed into the shower and cleaned myself as quickly as I could. If I only had an hour to get ready then I was going to need as much time as I could to do my hair and makeup.   
When I had cleaned myself as much as I could, I stepped out of the shower and did my best to blow-dry my hair. It was still damp when I gave up and started pulling my hair into a French twist. I let a couple stands curl around my face. The delicate clip Pam had given me fit perfectly into my hair. I carefully applied my makeup and sprayed on a bit of perfume.   
I stepped back to take in my appearance and had to admit I looked good. The dress accentuated my curves and I even felt sexy wearing it. The deep red of my lipstick and the thick cat’s eye I had applied gave me a dignified and classic look that I didn’t usually attribute to myself.   
Satisfied with how I looked I opened the door to meet Godric.   
His eyes slowly raked over me making my cheeks flush red and I looked down at my toes self-consciously. Maybe I didn’t look as good as I thought, perhaps I even looked silly. Maybe Godric didn’t think I looked good enough to meet with the Authority? Was he second guessing bringing me along?  
But the look in his eyes, when I peeked up at him wasn’t a look of disappointment or regret. His eyes were dark and heated. I swallowed hard, goosebumps breaking out across my exposed skin. I was frozen, watching him watch me like a deer in the headlights. I didn’t know what to say or do but I doubted I could have done much of anything with his eyes on me like that.   
He seemed to shake himself out of it a moment later, blinking hard before turning away from me. He cleared his throat and when he spoke his voice was like gravel “Eric is waiting for us, are you ready little one?”  
I took a deep breath and nodded even though he wasn’t looking at me “I just need shoes. Where are we going?” I asked. I turned away from Godric to rifle through my closet and find a pair of shoes that would work with my outfit. I settled on a pair of gold flats. I wasn’t sure what kind of environment we would be in so I didn’t want to risk heels. I pictured an abandoned building or a remote field as the meeting place.   
“We will be meeting with them at Fangtasia” Godric disclosed, sounding more composed than he had a moment before.   
He ushered me out the apartment door a moment later and into a sleek black car. I had never seen Godric drive a car before, but he slid comfortably into the driver’s seat after holding the door open for me, so I assumed it was his. We slid down the road, the car impossibly smooth a quiet. Godric seemed deep in thought and I didn’t want to disturb his thinking so I tried to keep myself as calm as possible as we pulled into the parking lot of Fangtasia.   
Godric turned in his seat to look at me after he parked the car at the back of the building. “Alyssa, it is extremely important that they do not know you are resistant to compulsion. I do not think it will be a problem but if one of them catches your eye do your best to do as they ask of you, or at least pretend to. Do you understand?” Godric instructed.   
I bit my lip anxiously. How well was I going to be able to pull off that act? What if they could sense that I was acting? Or if I screwed up? There was a lot riding on my acting abilities, more than I was really sure about, and I wasn’t very comfortable with the idea. “What if I screw up Godric?” I whispered, tears welling in my eyes.   
Godric’s hand came up to cup my cheek and he forced a smile for me “I have faith in you, little one. You will not ‘screw up’. And if something does happen, I will protect you as will my progeny. You have nothing to fear.”  
I believed that Godric would protect me and that Eric would do as Godric wanted, but what kind of price would they pay for making sure that I survived the night? Not to mention that they were essentially being put on trial because of me. I had no idea what the consequences would be if the Authority didn’t find their methods necessary but I got the feeling it would not be a simple rap on the wrists.   
I took a deep breath to gather myself and nodded to Godric to signify that I was ready to go in. Godric nodded in response and sped out of the car. I didn’t even have time to reach for the door handle before Godric was pulling the door open and offering me his hand. I took it gratefully and let him lead me into the bar.   
Three strange vampires sat on one of the long couches that furnished Fangtasia, looking tense and generally displeased. One of them, a blond middle aged woman, I recognized from the television. Nan Flanagan frequently appeared on the news and talk shows. She was a vampire rights spokesperson. It occurred to me that her presence in the media as a benign businesswoman so much like the women seen on the news was most likely very intentional on the Authorities part. It was hard to picture her in her interviews as a ruthless killer but the menacing look on her face made me rethink how average she was.   
The other two were both men dressed in expensive looking suits. One looked middle aged, with dark hair gelled back in the style of a typical CEO. The other was quite a bit younger with a strong jaw and shaved head. The three of them were silently staring down Eric and Pam sitting across from them. Pam looked bored with the proceedings as she usually did though I could detect a slight hint of relief in her eyes when Godric and I walked in.   
Eric looked like an angry cat with his eyes narrowed into slits and his shoulders tense. He was lounging back in his chair but every muscle in his body was ready to spring into action to defend his territory.   
“Ah, Godric. Thank you for finally joining us” Nan drawled, her tone razor sharp.   
Godric seemed unfazed by her tone of voice and did not respond until we were seated on the couch next to Eric. I noticed that Godric maneuvered me to sit between him and Eric and that Eric leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees, positioning himself closer to me.   
“I believe we agreed on midnight as a meeting time. Never the less, we have arrived and can proceed, yes?” Godric prompted.   
Nan narrowed her eyes at him for a moment before her gaze slid over to me. It made me nervous to have her eyes on me like that and I swallowed hard. Godric still had a hold of my hand and gave it a slight squeeze in reassurance.   
“You must be the human that was taken in this ordeal?” She demanded suddenly.   
I blinked at her for a moment “Ah yes.. I was kidnapped by the fellowship of the sun members.”  
“Explain what happened” the younger man ordered, his tone impatient.   
I swallowed again and stumbled over my words “I… well…they…I mean, I was kidnapped from my apartment and taken to the fellowship of the sun church just outside of town. They tied me up and kept me in the closet for the day. When it started to get dark out, a man came for me and brought me to a room to question me. They wanted to know where Eric and Godric spent the day so that they could sneak in and attack. When I wouldn’t tell him he tried to rape me. Godric and Eric got there just in time to save me” I explained, leaving out the part where I had telekinetically shot him.   
Nan Flanagan frowned at me, unimpressed with my story. “How did they know you were there? Were you able to contact them?”  
Eric spoke before I had a chance to “they left a message during the day saying that they had taken Alyssa and wanted Godric to come alone to sacrifice himself for her.”   
“It’s still on the machine if you’d like to hear it” Pam offered snidely.   
The three vampires glared at her but didn’t otherwise comment. They questioned Eric and Godric over and over again, going in circles about how they got in, how many people they killed and who might have seen them do it. The security tapes had already been wiped and Eric had glamored one member into telling the police that it had been a suicide pact. The cops seemed to believe them and it had apparently already made the news that the members of the church had tried to frame local vampires. It seemed to me that the anger coming off of the Authority members was a little unwarranted. Sure, they had killed a bunch of people but vampires made the news all the time because of that. Godric and Eric had at least thought enough to create a cover story and it hadn’t been a pointless expedition. They had been saving me after all.   
They didn’t ask much of me, but went over my side of the events several times. At one point, Nan leaned in and deliberately caught my eye.   
“Did these humans take you against your will?” She questioned, her voice calm and soothing.   
I did my best to match her tone of voice as I had seen people in videos do when I replied “yes.”  
“Were they using you as bait with the intention of capturing another vampire?”   
“Yes.”   
“Was it necessary to kill the humans involved to ensure your safety and get out alive?” Nan questioned.   
“Yes” I answered once again but added “they wouldn’t have let Godric and Eric leave if they hadn’t.”  
She let eye contact break and thought for a moment before turning her gaze on Eric. “If you got the message before sundown, why did you not call the police to report a kidnapping?”   
By the look on the two vampire’s faces, it had never occurred to them to call the cops. I knew Evan had filed a missing person, but why hadn’t they called the cops? It would have meant less of a risk to get me out and the church members wouldn’t have just walked after I was found in their basement. Not that I wasn’t glad they were all dead. It had shocked me at first to realize that, but I was glad they had all been killed. They were terrible people and wouldn’t have been stopped by going to jail.   
“There was not time. By the time the police obtained a warrant to search the church, they would have either moved Alyssa or killed her” Godric explained.   
The Authority members seemed to think it over thoroughly before moving on to other questions.   
As it was, it was nearly three hours before they seemed satisfied. Since they had covered up the issue and the source of the information that had tipped the Authority off had been ‘taken care of’, Nan warned them that the Authority would be keeping a close eye on them. They rose to leave but as Nan Flanagan stepped by me, she froze and turned on her heel to face me.   
She inhaled deeply, eyes flashing to Godric in question “why does she smell so strangely?” she demanded.   
My cheeks flushed a deep red and I fidgeted with the sleeves of my dress.   
Godric’s hand landed on my shoulder possessively “I do not know, I have not smelled her equal before.”  
“May I taste her?” the older man questioned, fangs slipping down.   
My eyes widened and I pressed back into Godric’s side, my insides flipping anxiously. Who asked that kind of question?! Apparently it was deeply offensive to Godric as his fangs dropped down immediately and a low growl rumbled in his chest. Eric’s own growl met his and they both leaned forward angrily.   
The other man’s fangs dropped down and he stepped forward in defense.   
“No you cannot taste my Alyssa” Godric snarled.   
“You have not even claimed her! How dare you show Matthias your fangs?” The younger man reproached.   
Godric was on his feet the next second, standing protectively in front of me “I am much older and more powerful than Matthias, and he should know better than to ask to taste another vampire’s companion” Godric responded, inches from the younger man’s face.   
“All of you will calm down at once!” Nan ordered, voice cutting through the growling like a knife.   
The growling quieted but Godric did not step down until Matthias and the other vampire both retracted their fangs.   
Nan glanced over her shoulder at Matthias “I don’t care what she smells like, you were out of line. You will conduct yourself more respectfully in the future” she reprimanded “and you, Godric, if you do not wish another vampire to claim her, then do it already or do not complain because you haven’t. I would like to know what it is that causes such a unique aroma however. Please notify the Authority when you find out.” Nan instructed him before turning sharply and marching out the door.   
The two men cast a final threatening glare towards Godric and Eric before following her out.   
“I am so sorry, little one” Godric apologized, turning to kneel in front of me.   
I was shaken but otherwise unharmed. I shuddered to think of what might have happened if I didn’t have the vampires around me to keep me safe. “What did Nan mean, that you should ‘claim me’?” I asked him.   
Godric’s eyes shifted away as if he was uncomfortable “When a vampire has a human companion and want other vampires to know that they are under the protection of a certain vampire, they claim that human” he explained.   
Eric scoffed beside me “that’s a very basic view of a claiming, Alyssa. It would mean that no other vampire could so much as touch you without facing repercussions from Godric. Not even the Authority. Godric would mark you with his scent or his blood so that whenever you meet a vampire they know you are Godric’s. She’s right Godric, if you don’t intend to bond with her, then one of us needs to claim her.” Eric added.   
“Eric” Godric warned, a stern look on his face. I wondered if it was the mention of ‘bonding’ that he had disagreed with because it was the only part that I didn’t understand. From what they had both said, it did seem like a good idea for one of them to claim me, it didn’t sound like it would change much other than vampires learning in advance that I was being protected, rather than risking being attacked again.   
“What does bonding mean?” I questioned before they could change the subject as I thought Godric would want to do.   
Godric sighed “it is not something you need to worry about, Alyssa. There is no need for you to do such a thing.”   
“She should know Godric” Eric pushed “it might be important someday, if not today.”  
Godric shot Eric an angry look but after a moment took a deep breath and turned back to me “when a vampire and human exchange blood on several occasions, it creates a bond between them. Not only can the vampire feel the emotions of the human but the human can also sense the vampire. It is very rare and ties the vampire and human together for the rest of the human’s life, whether the human is turned or not. It can be likened to a marriage between humans but is even still more intimate” Godric explained.   
I could admit that it hurt to realize that that was what had upset Godric, he hadn’t wanted me to know what bonding was so that I could never ask it of him. He didn’t even want to claim me, didn’t want me to be ‘his’ as Eric had put it. I knew rationally that we had not known each other for very long and it wasn’t fair of me to expect such a thing from him but it hurt none the less. I hadn’t realized before how much I actually cared for Godric. And a part of me had begun to hope that he had felt the same way but I thought now that I must have been misreading his friendliness for flirting and what I had thought were possessiveness and jealousy had more likely been a friendly concern for a human that he spent time with.   
“Oh, I see” I mumbled, staring down at my hands.   
Godric rose from in front of me a moment later. “If you wish to rest more then I will see you back to your apartment, I am sure this has been a very trying couple of days for you, little one.”  
“If you want to stay, Alyssa, you can until sunrise and we will see you home then too” Eric added, shooting Godric a strange look.   
It seemed pretty clear that Godric wanted to take me home. Maybe it was tiring for him, to constantly be around me. He probably had other things he wanted to do and after how angry he seemed to be with Eric just for mentioning bonding to me, it seemed like he would be happy for some time away from me. Maybe he knew how I felt about him and was trying to put some space between us before I got too attached to him.  
“No” I sighed “I think Godric is right. I’d like to go home.”  
Godric offered his hand to me and I took it until I was standing and then carefully withdrew my hand from his so that he didn’t feel like he had to hold mine or risk hurting my feelings. He looked at me over his shoulder questioningly for a second before leading the way out of the bar. The car ride back to the apartment was silent and awkward. He seemed unsure of walking me to my door but after a moment decided he would. Godric waited while I fumbled with the key in the lock and mumbled a quiet goodnight before turning and disappearing down the hall.   
Safely inside my apartment I leaned against the wall and slowly slid to the floor, shaking.   
What a fool I had been making of myself the past couple of weeks. How could I have thought that Godric could have ever been interested in me? He was two thousand years old and I was just a regular girl. Well, mostly regular. Maybe that was the only reason he spent any time with me, trying to figure out what it was that made me so different. I was something new to him it seemed, and that must be rare to such an old vampire. I was probably like that shiny new toy or puzzle that was special because of its newness but once you had it figured out it was no better than any of the other toys you already had.   
The thought left me feeling hollow. Was that all I was to Godric? And Eric too? I needed to stop getting attached to them and prepare for when they were going to get tired of me. Most of all I needed to stop lying to myself in thinking that I could ever be with Godric.


	10. Chapter 10

I was soaking in a tub of warm water and bubbles. My hair was pulled up into a clip on the back of my head and my skin was just starting to get wrinkly. I hadn’t been so relaxed in a long time. The candles I had lit gave off the faint smell of lavender and the light flickered against the bathroom tiles pleasantly.   
Evan had prodded me into the bath before leaving for work that evening. She had wanted to stay and keep an eye on me for as long as she could but I had forced her to go as we couldn’t afford for either of us to be taking time off. Normally, I would have been left the apartment by that time to go to Fangtasia to work on my telekinesis. But the events of the previous night had left me feeling down and rejected. The thought of spending the whole night with Godric, knowing he probably didn’t want me there was enough to open up a pit of anxiety at the bottom of my stomach.   
So the bath had been a more relaxing idea. I had called Fangtasia earlier and left a message saying that I still wasn’t feeling well and wouldn’t be showing up there just in case they got worried when I didn’t show up and thought I had been kidnapped again or something.  
It would also, hopefully, deter the three of them from showing up at my apartment to make sure I was alright. I needed a night off and I intended to spend as much of it as I could relaxing and recovering.   
I was still covered in bruises and sore like I had run a marathon. The nausea from my concussion had mostly gone away though I still lost my balance if I stood up too quickly. The constant headache I had had was slowly fading. I could only hope that I would be better by the time I had to work the following night.   
My phone buzzed on the side of the tub and I caught it before it could move any closer to the edge. Fangtasia’s number flashed across my screen. With a sigh I answered the call, sinking back into the water.   
“Hello?” I greeted.  
“Alyssa, are you feeling alright?” Godric’s voice questioned through the phone.   
I bit my lip at the worry in his voice, feeling bad for not showing up. “I’m ok, just still feel sick. Like I said on the message, I’m just going to rest for tonight so I can hopefully work tomorrow” I told him.   
“Is your sister there to look after you?” Godric questioned. I could hear voices in the background, presumably Eric and Pam arguing over something.   
I shook my head before realizing that he couldn’t see me “no, she’s working. But I’m a big girl Godric, I can look after myself” I reminded him.   
“Yes, yes of course, little one. I am sure you can. Even still, if you would like some company, Eric or I could come by for a little while.”   
The thought of Godric coming to my apartment and just spending the night sitting on my couch made anxiety build up in my stomach. I didn’t want to be any more of an inconvenience to them at any rate. Neither Eric nor Godric would benefit at all from spending the night wasting away at my apartment. Not that I thought Eric had volunteered for that in the slightest, though he would have come at Godric’s order.   
“No, Godric. It’s ok. I’m probably just going to sleep most of the night” I shrugged.   
There was silence on the other end of the line as I readjusted the way I was sitting in the water “are you in water, Alyssa?”   
My eyebrows came together in confusion before I realized he could probably hear the water moving through the phone “Yes. I’m in the bath” I answered.   
“Oh. I see” Godric replied in an odd tone “I will not keep you then. Have a pleasant night little one, and please call if you are in need of anything.”  
I told him I would and hung up the phone a moment later. I heaved a large sigh and slid under the water. What was I going to do when the next night when I would have to work around the three vampires?

I got my answer the following night. I had popped two Tylenol, as I had been for most of the day to help with the headache that had come back with a vengeance that afternoon. Thankfully Godric sat with Eric at the front of the room, Eric lounging as usual in his unreasonable throne. I watched them between customers, tugging at the end of my braid anxiously. They were talking about something that seemed to make them both rather angry. Eric was gesturing animatedly, a scowl on his face. A look of displeasure pulled at the lines of Godric’s face, replacing the usually gentle but distant expression. He stood abruptly, snapping something to Eric before threading through the crowd of dancers to go into the back room. I wondered what they could have been talking about that would have upset them both so much.   
I was surprised when, after closing down the club, it was not Godric waiting for me at the end of the bar like he had for so many nights but Eric instead. He was impatiently tapping his long fingers on the bar top as I gathered my things.   
“You are so slow” Eric groaned when I finally grabbed my purse and jacket.   
I scoffed at him, trying to push away my hurt feelings at Godric not even wanting to see me home. “If my boss wasn’t such a hard-ass I would be out sooner” I teased him.   
Eric narrowed his eyes at me but a smile played across his lips as he waved me out of the building. “You love my ass. How could you not?” he joked, twisting to get a look at his rear.   
I snorted despite my down mood “I bet Sookie likes your ass.”   
I had noticed a brewing sexual tension the past couple of times I had seen them together and wondered if he had made his move yet. Although Sookie seemed like the type of girl that would only take him on her terms, Eric didn’t seem like the type of guy to give up easily when he wanted something.   
“She does, she just won’t admit it yet. But I will convince her” the determination in his voice had me laughing. He turned to give me an unimpressed look “I suppose you have a better way to go about winning her over?”   
I bit my lip, thinking about it for a moment. I didn’t expect Eric to take my advice seriously, but in the off chance that he actually tried out what I thought, then I wanted to give him good ideas. “Show her you aren’t some big bad monster. And before you say anything, I know you aren’t. I still remember how you reacted when Godric was going to meet the sun. Underneath all that sarcasm and attitude is a big cuddly vampire” I bumped him playfully to show I wasn’t trying to start a deep conversation “and don’t try to trick her into things. Maybe if you showed her that you’re genuinely interested in her and not just what’s between her legs, you might get somewhere.”  
Eric hummed as he walked down the empty streets. We were almost to my apartment before he spoke “Sookie is an exceptional human. But a frustrating one as well. Much like you. Perhaps I will take your advice” he nodded to himself, a determined look on his face.   
I snorted but decided it was better if I didn’t comment. I didn’t know how much my advice would help or how much he had already warped what I had said to suit his own way of doing things but at least I could say I had tried. And Sookie certainly seemed interested in him so perhaps it would only be a matter of time.   
Eric left me at the door to my apartment and I dragged myself into bed as quietly as possible.   
The week passed in a similar fashion. Godric was around but always very distant. We didn’t speak much and every night Eric walked me home rather than Godric. I worried in a way I hadn’t when Godric had seen me home, that I was becoming a burden on the vampires of Fangtasia. Surely they had better things to do with their last couple of hours before sunrise than to see me home. I should start taking a cab home, I thought. I was making enough money with tips that Evan and I had had money left over for the past several weeks. It was the first time in a long time that we weren’t stressing towards the end of the month about how we were going to pay our bills. Having that weight lifted, at least for now, had done a great deal in improving my otherwise glum mood at Godric’s apparent rejection.   
It was early morning on Sunday and Eric had walked me home after a particularly trying night of work that he hesitated in front of my apartment door in a way he hadn’t before.   
“Alyssa, if I were in need of a favor, would you be willing to preform it for me?” Eric questioned.  
My guard was automatically raised. What could Eric possibly want out of me? “That would depend on what you wanted” I replied cautiously.  
Eric frowned at me “Godric, Pam, and I will be acquiring a nest outside of Fangtasia. I have a location in mind but it would be preferably that the realtor does not know that vampires will be nesting there after the incident with the fellowship of the sun” he paused to gauge whether or not I understood why that might be important. At my nod, he continued “so I would like you to go and look over the property and relay back to me whether you find it acceptable or not. You may bring your sister with you as well. You will tell the realtor that you work for a company interested in acquiring the property and you will conduct all dealings with them until this property or a suitable one is acquired” he explained.   
I took a minute to think it over. It did make sense for them to have a home outside of Fangtasia. It would be too easy for someone trying to attack them to get to them at Fangtasia. Having a place that no one knew about would make it much safer for them should someone try to attack. But why would Eric ask me to do it? I was sure it wasn’t the first time Eric had bought a property so he must have had a way of doing so before meeting me. Some vampires had a day-person, someone they hired to do things for them while the sun was up. Surely Eric had such a person, or even Godric at some point?  
“Why do you want me to do this? Can’t you just pay someone to do it?” I questioned, leaning against my door.   
Eric shrugged “Yes, I could. But we are in need of a human that can be trusted with the information of our resting place.”   
“What about Sookie? I figured she would be the first person you would ask. More chances to woo her, right?” I suggested. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to do it, but I had learned that Eric had a penchant for ulterior motives and was determined to find them out before agreeing to anything.   
Eric nodded “perhaps you are right. But it is not just my resting place and both Godric and Pam do not know Sookie as I do. You however, we all trust. Your sister, perhaps less so, but we are willing to trust her if that is what is required to have this done as soon as possible.”  
I wasn’t sure what to say. I had a feeling there was more to the story than Eric was really telling me but I couldn’t see where this could go poorly for me. Sure I would lose a bit of my free time for a day or two, or however long it took. But I had lots of time between photography sessions especially as the weather started to get colder so it wouldn’t come in the way of anything I was doing. It would be a different experience for me as well. I had never gone through the process of buying a house and I thought Evan might enjoy looking with me. With a sigh I nodded to him. “When do you need me?” I asked.   
Eric gave me a satisfied smile and pulled a business card out of his pocket with an address and time written across the back in flowing hand writing. I wondered whose writing it was as I accepted the card.   
“I will compensate you for your time, Alyssa, and provide you with a list of points to look for when viewing the property” Eric informed me before taking his leave. 

The appointment was for the following Tuesday afternoon. Evan switched a shift with a coworker so she was able to come with me. The address was to a location on the outskirts of town so we called a cab. The drive was slow and quiet. I don’t know what I had been expecting the house to look like but Evan and I both gaped at the house for several minutes before actually walking through the front gate.   
The house was a three-story Victorian house with a round tower jutting out from the side. A porch wrapped around one side of the house and on the second floor was a balcony that hung over the front entrance below. The railings caught my eye, it was enclosed for the most part but a large circle had been cut out to allow an unobstructed view of the river in front of it. The siding was a pale blue color that looked fairly new and the property looked well maintained. A stone wall enclosed the front yard, with an intricate wrought iron gate as the only point of entry. The wall gave the front of the lot privacy from anyone on the street and trees grew on either side of the house, further shading it from prying eyes.   
Beyond the gate was a manicured lawn with several well maintained flower beds lining the stone walkway up to the steps.   
At the foot of the steps leading to the porch was a woman in her late thirties dressed in a black skirt and off white blouse. Her mousy brown hair was pulled back into a tight bun and shrewd brown eyes watched us suspiciously from behind the lenses of her glasses.   
“Hello ladies, would you be from Fraser Investments?” She questioned as we got closer. Her voice was sharp and nasally. She looked us over and seemed to write us off immediately as not serious enough to bother with.  
I had to suppress the scowl that wanted to work its way onto my face. Instead I forced a smile and nodded “yes. My name is Alyssa and this is my intern Evan.” Eric had mentioned that since we were supposed to be working for a big property investments company that bringing my sister would be unprofessional and I had suggested instead that she pose as my intern.   
“A pleasure to meet you, my name is Laura. Please, follow me ladies” Laura instructed, turning on her heel to lead us to the front door.   
She made comments about the work that had already been done to the property as we walked through, mentioning various points of interest such as the newly finished floors and the original moldings throughout the house.   
Despite her less than friendly attitude, I was impressed by the house. The staircase that led up to the second and third floor was an imposing spiraling affair with polished wood and beautiful rails. To the right of the entrance was a sitting room with a grand fire place and a sliding door that led to what had been set up as a living room. A powder room was adjoined to the living room as well as the formal dining room that sat at the back of the house with large windows that looked out onto the sprawling back yard. The kitchen had been updated and was furnished with marble countertops and shiny steel appliances. A large porcelain apron sink dominated one section of the counters and breakfast bar sat opposite to it. A small set of ‘servant-stairs’ were cramped into the back as well as the hatch that led to the basement. The basement was one open room that had been set up as a den with a pool table, a plush couch and a large television mounted on the wall.   
On the second floor there were four bedrooms, the master bedroom took up a good portion of the front of the house and had the benefit of its own porch, a large walk in closet and an en suite bathroom. Evan and I both gaped in awe at the huge jetted tub that could easily fit six people and the mosaic-tiled walk in shower on the opposite wall. The bedroom beside it was situated in the round tower in the corner of the house offering a wonderful view of the river as well as the small forested area beside the house and a smaller bathroom attached to it. The other two bedrooms shared a bathroom placed between them. A laundry room was tucked out of the way behind the stairs, but even it was spacious and very modern looking.   
The stairs narrowed slightly towards the attic which was broken up into two rooms, one which was being used as storage space and the other as a small office.   
I went through the list Eric had given me and made notes as we went. There were several things they would need to do in order to make the rooms a viable option for their day rest, the main one being making them light tight. Eric said it would be simple enough to do, but the option of the finished basement in case of emergencies was a definite plus in addition to the privacy the house had both from the street and from prying neighbors. Even the back yard was secluded, trees surrounded the property so not much light actually hit the house, which the realtor skirted around as she saw it as a downside but I knew the vampires would prefer it to an open, exposed area. As it was, the neighbor’s houses weren’t even in sight from the house as they were much further down the street and the back yard faced a hill that started out gradual but quickly became steep so there were no neighbors behind the house for a mile or so.  
Satisfied with the property, I promised Laura that we would be in contact within the next couple of days, as there were some aspects that I would have to discuss with my boss. She seemed to expect it and in what was supposed to be an offhand manor, reminded me of the price of the property and how well it was priced compared to other houses in the area.   
“So let your boss know that if they want this property they better act soon. It’s not going to be on the market for very long” She said by way of goodbye as she strutted off the property, the garage had a separate driveway outside of the fence. We had had a quick look at it but I hadn’t paid much mind to it. It would fit several cars inside and Eric hadn’t mentioned it as a thing to watch for. So long as they had a place to store their cars, the details didn’t much matter.   
The price of the house had Evan and I stunned. I tried not to let it show on my face while the realtor was walking away. Sure it was a huge house with a big piece of land in a good location, but in comparison to Evan and I’s financial situation, the price was outrageous. I wondered for a moment just how much money the vampires had. Eric had implied, after all, that they all owned several resting places in other cities that they could use in case of emergencies. 

I made my way over to Fangtasia that night to meet with them and tell them about the house. The main entrance was already unlocked when I arrived a bit before sundown so I made my way down to the apartment underneath the club.   
I realized as soon as I opened the door that it would be likely that Godric would be the only one up. When I walked through the door my suspicions were confirmed as Godric was seated on the couch reading a book. He looked up as I walked in and offered me a sheepish smile.   
We had not spoken in quite a while and I felt awkward sitting in a chair beside him. I tucked my feet underneath me and peered at the book in his hand.   
“What are you reading?” I questioned him.   
Godric let the book close and set it on the coffee table in front of us. “it is a very old book in Latin detailing a battle. I am afraid it is not one that made modern day history books” Godric told me.   
The book looked very old indeed, the worn pages were yellowed with age and the cover, made of what looked like hide was faded.   
“How have you been Alyssa?” hearing him say my name after so many weeks sent a small shiver down my spine.   
I shrugged to cover it up and looked away from him. His eyes were boring into me and making it hard to think properly “I’m good…how are you, Godric?” I asked in return, feeling even more awkward with the small talk.   
It seemed like Godric felt the same. He cleared his throat before speaking and shifted back and forth in his seat as if he was uncomfortable “I am well…. I do not know if Eric has said as much, but we appreciate you viewing the property for us. I hope it wasn’t too much trouble” his spoke quietly.   
I shook my head immediately. “I didn’t mind at all. Evan and I had a good time. Thank you for, ah, trusting me enough to know your day-spot” I mumbled.   
Godric tilted his head at me curiously “of course, little one. There was never a doubt in your trustworthiness. Perhaps…well, perhaps you will be comfortable enough to visit us there?”   
A thrill went through me at the invitation but I forced down the excitement. I couldn’t get my hopes up again. He was probably just being nice in offering. I reminded myself of how distant he had been and that he clearly had no interest in me in a romantic sense, no matter what I had thought to begin with. Even still, I couldn’t help the pleased smile that broke out across my face “I would love to, Godric.”  
He didn’t get a chance to say anything else, though he smiled in answer to mine, as Eric stumbled out of his room groggily. He was wearing only a tight pair of boxer shorts that left absolutely nothing to the imagination. My eyes widened in surprise and my hand flew up to cover my mouth as I gasped. My face flushed tomato red and I hastily dropped my eyes.   
Eric outright laughed at me and ruffled my hair as he strutted past “see something you like, sugar?” he teased.   
Eric had taken up calling me by various pet names over the weeks he had been walking me home. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it but Eric seemed to find it endlessly amusing so I didn’t stop him.   
I recovered a moment later and I turned to fix my eyes on Godric, pointedly not looking in Eric’s direction, not that it was a better alternative. It almost hurt to look at the neutral mask on Godric’s face as his eyes slid from his progeny to myself.   
His eyes met mine and I felt like I wasn’t able to look away. Maybe that was what being glamored felt like. Part of me was curious to know but another part of me thought I was very lucky for not being vulnerable to it.   
When Pam had finally joined us several moments later I began recapping the house to them. They discussed the various improvements that would need to be made, mainly making sure it was completely light-tight. Over-all it was decided that the property sounded like it would meet their needs and as they had already seen various pictures of the property, and I would arrange a time with the realty company to sign papers for the ‘company’ within the week.   
When the matter was finished there were several moments of silence. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do. Did they expect me to go home now that that was settled? More importantly, did they want me to? I wondered if Eric would mention something about seeing me home but instead he started up a conversation with Pam in a language I didn’t understand. Godric watched the conversation with some interest and shook his head when they asked him a question. A moment later they stood and disappeared out of the underground apartment. That left me alone with Godric once again. To say I felt awkward was an understatement. Surely he didn’t want me to hang around? He must have had other things he wanted to do, especially since he had been doing so well avoiding me in the past couple of weeks.   
After a moment of indecision, I pulled myself together and stood up from the chair I had been seated in.   
“Well, I’m sure you want to get back to your book. I wont take up any more of your time tonight” I hummed with a half-hearted smile.   
I was almost to the door when Godric’s voice halted me “Alyssa, please wait a moment.”  
Despite having told myself repeatedly that Godric was definitely not interested in me, my hopes soared at him stopping me. Maybe he did want to spend time with me after all. Maybe there was a simple explanation for why he had been avoiding me. I turned slowly to look at him. He was standing in front of the couch, an uncertain expression on his face.   
“Yes, Godric?” I asked.   
“Ah…at least allow me to see you home safely” Godric offered politely, eyes dropping to his hands at the end of his sentence.   
My heart dropped and my new found hope plummeted to the ground. I closed my eyes for a brief moment in the hopes that my emotions wouldn’t show on my face “you don’t have to do that Godric. It’s not too late yet, I can make it home fine.”  
Godric frowned and looked like he was about to let it go but he shook his head a moment later “please, I insist. Besides, there is something I wish to discuss with you.”


	11. Chapter 11

We made it half way to my apartment in a tense, awkward silence before Godric finally spoke. The streets were mostly empty though we passed the odd couple of people every few minutes. It was a cool night so I walked with my arms crossed, hands digging into my arms anxiously.   
“It has been quite some time since we had a moment to talk” Godric commented slowly.   
I nodded “Yes, it has. Eric has been walking me home most nights” I added though I figured he already knew that.   
Godric glanced over at me for a moment before turning to look ahead of us again “I hope he hasn’t been too much trouble for you. I know how Eric can be.”  
I shrugged “I’ve adjusted to him by now, I suppose. He’s a good person deep down.”  
Godric let out a small chuckle “don’t tell him you think that.”  
I hummed in response and waited, surely that hadn’t been what Godric wanted to talk to me about. But he didn’t say anything further until we reached the entrance to my apartment building.   
“Eric has brought it to my attention that perhaps there has been a misunderstanding between us, little one” Godric mentioned, reaching forward to hold the door open for me.   
I raised my eyebrow at him in question, wondering what he was getting at and what Eric could have possibly told him.   
“I do not want you to believe that I have distanced myself from you due to a desire to no longer be in your presence.” Godric continued.   
I remembered Eric mentioning several nights ago that I should talk to Godric. It had come up after I had pushed him too much in one night to further things with Sookie. I had snapped back that Godric clearly didn’t want to be around me and Eric had seemed confused at first and then very frustrated. But he hadn’t said much else about it so I had all but forgotten about it.   
I frowned at him “so what am I supposed to think when you suddenly stop spending time with me?”   
“It is only that I am trying to do what is best for your safety, little one.”   
“How? How is this any more safe for me?” I demanded, spinning to face him in the hallway.   
Godric dropped his eyes to his hands “it is because of me that you were kidnapped Alyssa.”  
“It’s because of you that I got out of there!” I huffed.   
Godric shook his head “if they hadn’t thought you were close to me…”   
“They would have taken me anyway because I work at the bar! Dammit Godric, that isn’t your fault and you have no right to suddenly cut me out of your life just because you decide now that I’m safer. Wouldn’t it be safer to spend more time with me to make sure I’m protected, if that’s your mission?”   
Godric looked extremely uncomfortable to have me scolding him in the hallway to my apartment building. I wondered if my neighbors were behind their doors, watching through the peepholes.   
“That is why I had Eric keep an eye on you” he admitted.   
I threw my hands up and rolled my eyes “how is that any safer? You just replaced one vampire with another! It doesn’t make any difference to them!”  
“Eric did make a similar argument” Godric sighed.   
I snorted “why didn’t you listen to him?”   
Godric started to speak several times before he decided on what he wanted to say “I care for you very much, Alyssa” he said softly.   
My heart sped up and my stomach did little flips. It was the first time he had said anything along those lines and it renewed all the hope I had once had about him having feelings for me. Maybe it had all been a misunderstanding and I should have trusted that gut feeling from the start.   
“You do?” I questioned, my voice a tone or two higher than I would have liked.   
Godric glanced up at me, gauging my reaction. His eyes had a spark to them that made my stomach beat even faster. But he blinked several times and seemed to shake himself out of whatever thoughts he had.   
“You see, little one, I do not have many people I can consider friends so the few I have are very precious to me. Perhaps I am a little irrational when it comes to keeping them safe. There are many people out there who would readily do me harm by whatever means possible, even by hurting you” Godric explained.   
“Oh. Of course” I mumbled, looking away from him.   
My hopes, which seemed to be getting shot down frequently as of late, dropped to an all-time low. My shoulders slumped and I couldn’t bring myself to look at him again.   
“I’m glad we cleared that up, Godric” I spoke after a moment.   
Godric’s head tilted slightly to the side as if he wasn’t sure of something before he nodded “I believe you are right however, and I hope we can resume our previous routine of me seeing you home.”  
I nodded in response, pulling my key out of my pocket to unlock the door. “That would be nice” I sighed, then “have a good night” as I stepped into my apartment.   
“You as well, little one” Godric replied as my door slid shut. 

**

“You said what?” Eric demanded, slamming his fist down on the coffee table.   
Godric pursed his lips “I said that I have very few friends and the ones I have are very important, or something to that effect.”  
“Why the fuck would you say something like that?” Pam snapped, tossing her magazine to the side.   
Godric narrowed his eyes at her and tried to defend himself “you did not see the alarm in her eyes when I said that I cared about her. It would not do well to push my feelings onto her when she clearly does not return them.”  
“Bullshit she doesn’t feel that way!” Eric roared “you don’t see the disappointment I get when I show up to walk her home at night! Even now she still hopes you’re going to be there!”   
Godric shook his head “it is not possible, Eric for a woman like Alyssa to have such feelings for a being like me.”  
“And what of Sookie, then? You have professed up and down that she will return my feelings. Is she less of a woman than Alyssa simply because you do not fancy her? Or is it that you think you’re worthless?” Eric snarled at his maker.   
Godric sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “She deserves better than me, Eric. She deserves better than a monster. I bring nothing but darkness and danger to her life.”  
Pam rolled her eyes “stop spouting so much bullshit, Godric. If she was so afraid of the danger she wouldn’t still work here after what happened. You’re making excuses and you’re toying with her. One minute you’re in love and the next you don’t want anything to do with her. Tell her how you feel or don’t, but make up your mind.”

**

I did my best to ignore the blatant awkwardness that had sprouted up between Godric and I as he started walking me home again. Every night I would get a little thrill to see him waiting for me at the end of the bar and every night I had to forcefully shove the feeling aside because Godric and I were just friends and that was all he wanted from me. Before, he had been warm and open when we walked, carrying our conversation easily. Now he was polite but distant, answering my questions with short detached comments. I got most of my information from Eric, who stopped by to talk to me at the bar for a couple of minutes every night.   
Sookie and he had gone on a date and he had been on his best behavior which meant they had another date a couple of days later. Eric was happy in a way I hadn’t seen him before. Things between him and Godric had seemed tense for a while as well but Eric always brushed it off when I commented on it.   
“Eric has informed me that the house will be ready by Saturday night” Godric informed me one night when we stopped outside of my apartment building.   
I smiled “that’s nice to hear, Godric. Are you glad that you’ll be able to live there soon?”   
“Yes, it will be nice to have a space outside of Eric’s bar to go to. Perhaps you would like to come and see it on Saturday?” Godric offered.   
I had to admit, at least to myself, that I was pretty curious about what they had done to the house to make it suited for vampires. Not to mention that I would shamelessly grab at any opportunity that involved spending the evening with Godric. Despite continuously telling myself we were only friends and that was all we were likely to be, it all went out the window when Godric looked at me. So I agreed to go. Godric seemed pleased to hear that I wanted to see their new nest and said that if I wanted I could meet them at Fangtasia and therefore have a way of getting there.   
A couple of moments later saw me shuffling into my apartment, tossing my purse in the hallway on my way to my bedroom. 

Friday nights were generally busy at Fangtasia and the night was flying by. The crowd around the bar didn’t seem to be getting any smaller even though it was already one thirty.   
“Excuse me, miss!” A man’s voice called down the bar.   
I placed a drink in front of a man, collecting his money before I turned towards the voice. A man was squeezed in between two stools several feet down, hand raised to catch my attention. I flashed him a smile and made my way down to him.   
“What can I get you?” I asked.   
The man shook his head “I know it’s busy, but I’m a journalist. I was actually wondering if I could ask you a few questions.”  
I glanced around the bar pointedly “you picked a hell of a night to come by” I commented.   
The man shrugged sheepishly “I realize that now. I can wait, if that would be better, until things slow down here? Maybe after the bar closes?”   
I thought it over for a moment before answering. I wasn’t sure how Eric would feel about me talking to a journalist about the bar, but I was sure he wouldn’t appreciate me doing it while I was working. Better to wait until I was off. I could just let them know that I didn’t need them to walk me home. After all, I had a cell phone and money for a cab when we finished plus I had taken to carrying a can of pepper spray in my purse just in case. Not to mention that my telekinesis had come a long way even since I had been kidnapped so I felt pretty confident in my ability to defend myself against the man across the bar from me.   
He was fairly slim with a kind face and a gentle smile. Deep set brown eyes gleamed out from behind a pair of thin framed glasses and dark brown hair flopped onto his forehead. He was dressed nicely in a white dress shirt and pale grey vest. A small notebook was clutched in one hand and a pen in the other.   
“Sure. If you’re willing to wait around until I’m off work then that’s fine. It probably won’t be until close to three though” I admitted.   
The man shook his head quickly “no, no, that’s fine! I’ll wait!”  
So he took a seat in the first stool that came available and stayed there, jotting things down in his notebook until he was forced to file out of the bar along with everyone else. I told him to just wait and that I wouldn’t be more than a half hour before I went about cleaning up for the night.   
Godric appeared like he always did at the end of the bar as I was finishing up.   
“Oh, Godric. Thank you, but I don’t need you to see me home tonight” I mentioned before turning to gather my things.   
“I do not understand” Godric admitted after a moment.   
I motioned to the door “there’s a journalist outside who wanted to ask me a few questions so I’m going to talk with him before I head home tonight. I have money for a cab home so you don’t have to worry about me walking.”  
Godric frowned “what does he want to talk to you about?”   
I shrugged “I’m not sure. Working here perhaps? Don’t worry I don’t have anything bad to say about you guys and I know better than to reveal any secrets if that’s what you’re worried about.”  
“It’s not. You do not know this man or what his intentions are. Are you sure this is safe?” he questioned.   
“His intentions are to ask me questions Godric. And if he tries to do more than that, I have pepper spray and my abilities are much stronger now so I can defend myself.”  
Godric seemed less than convinced and opened his mouth to protest but I raised my hand to stop him “thank you for the concern Godric, but I’m going to go and I’d rather not keep him waiting any longer.”  
With that I picked up my purse and walked out the door. 

A couple feet away, the man was leaning against the building, flipping through his page of notes. He looked up at the sound of the door closing and smiled at me.   
“Thank you for meeting with me, I’m sure you just want to get home by now” he hummed.   
I shrugged “it’s no trouble, I need the time to wind down before I go to bed anyway. I’m Alyssa by the way.”  
The man nodded and held out his hand “my name is Jim. It’s nice to meet you Alyssa.”   
We made our way to a coffee shop a couple of buildings down. Due to the late hour we were the only people in the shop besides the worker so we had our pick of seats. Jim led me to a table situated in the corner of the shop and offered to buy me a coffee. I declined and waited patiently while he made himself one.   
“What can I do for you Jim?” I asked after a moment.   
“Right, well you see we’re trying to write a piece about human involvement with vampires. I know it sounds pretty boring but I’m interested in humans working in their world who aren’t considered ‘fang-bangers’ if you’ll excuse the term” Jim told me.   
“What about them?” I asked curiously. He was right, it did seem pretty boring. There were thousands of stories about how vampire culture was taking over and the almost cult like mentality of the humans involved with vampires. If that was the kind of thing he was going to write about then I didn’t want to have any part in it.   
“Well, I’m sure you’ve noticed how prevalent news stories about people being obsessed with vampires and getting killed because of it have become?” at my nod he continued “well, I’d like to write about people who work with, or spend a significant amount of time with vampires can still be normal well-adjusted people. My main angle is that people used to have this mentality about different races, or gay people. A lot of people still think that except that it’s been overshadowed a bit by vampires coming out of the coffin.”   
He seemed sincere enough, and eager to get answers to his questions so I let him get started. They were all fairly benign, asking about the similarities I found in working at Fangtasia compared to my previous bartending jobs as well as the differences. He asked about my relationship with them and whether the vampires I worked with had ever tried to come onto me. Since I didn’t take Eric flirting seriously, especially since he had started going on dates with Sookie, and Godric had made it pretty clear that he wasn’t interested in me, I hardly had to hesitate when I said that they hadn’t.   
Jim picked up on it and pressed me further so I had to shrug it off “it’s no different than any other bar I’ve worked at. Patrons get a little drunk and see a pretty girl smiling and being nice to them as more than it is and they get a bit out of hand. Eric is very good about making sure no one crosses the line” I told him.   
“Do vampires often try to get you to come home with them?” Jim asked, writing quickly in his notebook. I wondered if he had a short-hand that he used to make it quicker, but it didn’t really matter.   
“At first maybe. But even if I wanted to, Eric won’t let any of his staff go home with a patron. He’s worried we would get distracted picking people up and wouldn’t do our job properly” I informed him.   
Jim let it go and moved on to other areas. It was four in the morning before he was satisfied and I called a cab. He waited with me for my cab to arrive as his car was still parked at Fangtasia. Before I stepped into my cab, he grabbed my hand.   
“Alyssa, ah, I’d like to give you my card and maybe if you wanted to get together sometime we could go out to dinner or something?” Jim offered, fishing a small rectangle of cardboard out of his pocket.  
I was surprised to say the least. I hadn’t been expecting him to ask me out. But I found myself smiling and taking the card from him anyway. “Thank you, I think that would be nice” I smiled before sliding into my cab.


	12. Chapter 12

The visit to the trio’s new house had been an awkward one. Godric had escorted me around the house like a tour guide, pointing out the renovations and changes they had made along the way. He had set up in the master bedroom, which initially surprised as I had expected Eric to claim it, or Pam to throw a fit over not getting the spa-like bathroom that was attached to it. He had decorated it in light fabrics and paints, and dark woods. A huge king bed was situated against one wall, covered in soft looking blankets and plush pillows. Two light blue arm chairs sat in the opposite corner of the room with a large dark wood book case and coffee table. The book case was filled with old looking books most of which weren’t in English, and antiques he had collected throughout his life.   
Eric’s room, in the corner of the house with the rounded tower, left no doubt to Eric’s origins. His large bed was covered in a fur blanket and the chest at the end looked like it could have been as old as he was. There were so many little details around the room that I could have spent a long time looking over each one but it felt like I was prying into his personal life so we had quickly moved on.   
Pam’s bedroom was done as I had expected, ultra-feminine though in an elegant way. Though the room attached to hers through the bathroom would function as a guest bedroom, she was using it as a dressing room/closet as well. Racks had been lined along the walls filled with expensive clothes and a tall cabinet was filled with shoes. A vanity sat between them with a large mirror and a comfortable seat poised in front.   
Godric pointed out the attic had also been turned into guest bedrooms. I didn’t understand the need for so many extra bedrooms when the location of their nest was so secret but I supposed they would have rather to have them just in case a friend visited instead of running the risk of needing them but not having the room.   
The games room in the basement had been converted into a safe room, with a large steel door and a passcode. One wall was dominated by various TV screens that showed the feed from cameras positioned around the perimeter of the house and facing all entrances. There was also a camera in every room of the house except their bedrooms.   
After he had showed me around I had been at a loss of what to do. To my embarrassment my stomach had growled rather loudly as we had been heading up from the basement. Godric hadn’t seemed to mind and showed me to the kitchen. For some reason they had stocked their fridge with not only various types of blood but also fruits, vegetables, and meats.   
“Why do you have food here, Godric?” I questioned, pulling out the ingredients I needed to make a small stir-fry. It had been the first thing that had come to mind when sorting through the abundance of food.   
Part of me felt bad for using their food since I should have had something to eat before coming to see them but another part of me thought that if they were going to stock their fridge with things they weren’t going to eat then someone had to use it and I might as well make something good out of it.   
Godric shrugged and fished out a wok from one of the cabinets, guessing what I was planning on making. “We thought that you might want to visit us here when you are not working and perhaps Evan would accompany you sometimes so the fridge and cabinets are stocked with various food items for your use” Godric rubbed the back of his neck as if he were embarrassed “none of us have eaten human food in quite a long time so we weren’t certain what would be appropriate to buy. I hope we did not miss anything important.”  
I stood there staring at him for several minutes, unsure of what to say. No one had ever gone to such lengths for me before and I didn’t know how to react. Why had they cared so much? Did Godric want me to visit him often or was he just being nice? I realized I was probably being impolite and cleared my throat. “Ah, wow, thank you Godric. This is amazing. I hope it wasn’t too much trouble for you. I’m sure you didn’t miss anything” I assured him, giving him a big smile.   
Godric returned my smile with a smaller version of his own and watched while I chopped up vegetables and went about cooking my meal. Godric heated up a bag of blood for himself when my meal was almost finished and we sat at the bar together and ate in relative silence.   
“Your interview with the journalist went alright, little one?” Godric asked while I was washing dishes.   
I stiffened slightly at the unexpected question but forced myself to remain calm and kept my focus on washing the plate in front of me. “Yes, it was fine. We just sat in a café for a short while. He’s writing about human involvement with vampires. Trying to dispel the mentality around ‘fang-bangers’ I guess” I shrugged.   
Godric hummed and didn’t comment right away. I was just beginning to think that he wasn’t going to ask any more questions about the ordeal when he spoke again “he was satisfied with what information you gave him at the time?”   
I turned and cocked my head at him “what do you mean, Godric? I didn’t tell him anything secret about you all or anything, if that’s what you’re worried about.”  
“No, little one, I didn’t think you would. What I am asking is will you be meeting with him again? Or did he get what he needed for the article he is writing.”   
I narrowed my eyes at him, wondering why it mattered to him. “I think he got what he needed for his article but we are going out to supper on Monday” I clarified.   
Godric scowled for a moment before he schooled his features back into a neutral expression “I see. And you will be safe on your date?” the cold neutrality in his voice was something I wasn’t used to and it made me wonder what emotion he was trying to hide.   
“Yes of course. Though Jim seems like a perfectly respectable man” I turned back to the sink to finish the dishes, hoping Godric would drop the subject.   
“Yes, well, some think members of the fellowship of the sun are respectable men” Godric mumbled under his breath.   
I turned back to face him, giving up my hopes of the conversation being dropped and narrowed my eyes at Godric “what’s that supposed to mean?” I demanded.   
“Only that I thought you would have learned that people are not always what they seem to be. You do not know this man. There are many people who would try to use you for information or for your gift” Godric warned.   
My eyes widened at his comment and I gaped at him, my feelings hurt “is that really the only reason you think someone would ask me on a date? To use me? Is it so hard to believe that maybe Jim is actually interested in me?” I questioned him.   
Godric’s harsh gaze softened “Of course not, little one. I just want you to be cautious. After what happened with the fellowship, you shouldn’t be too quick to trust strangers.”  
“What would you prefer I do then, Godric? Never go out again? Spend the rest of my life alone because I’m too afraid of what might happen? I might not be a vampire, but I’m not helpless either. I think I can defend myself against one man” I huffed.   
Godric frowned and looked down at his hands. He stayed that way for a long moment before looking back up at me “of course, you’re right. I was being unreasonable. I do hope your evening with this man goes well little one.”  
I gaped at him, not having expected him to let it go so easily. “Thank you” I mumbled after a minute and turned back to finish the dishes.   
Godric didn’t say anything for a long time before he excused himself and walked out of the kitchen. Several minutes later, I was putting the last of the dishes back in the cabinets when the door opened. Eric was leaning against the door frame, watching me with a disappointed expression on his face. “I’ll drive you home when you’re ready. Godric had some business to attend to” Eric explained.   
I nodded and gathered my things. It was nearly three in the morning and I was surprised by how quickly the night had passed by. Eric led me to a sleek black sports car and opened the door for me. It was the quietest I had ever seen Eric and he didn’t speak until we were a good distance away from the house and even then it was in a quiet, almost confused voice “why are you doing this?” he asked.   
I turned to look at him and tilted my head to the side “doing what, Eric?”  
“Going out with that man. You can’t actually have feelings for him Alyssa” Eric huffed, looking at me from the corner of his eye.   
“Why can’t I? You haven’t ever met him, so I don’t think you can really say.”  
Eric shook his head “I spoke with him briefly when he returned to pick up his car. Godric had mentioned you had gone with him so I waited until he came back to make sure you were ok. He is quite possibly the most boring man I have ever had the displeasure of talking to. What is there for you to like about him?”   
I rolled my eyes at him “he’s not boring. And I don’t know him enough to say if there’s anything there. But I don’t see why you care if I go to dinner with him.”  
Eric threw up his hands in frustration “what about Godric?” He demanded “do you feel nothing for him anymore?”   
My cheeks flushed red and I looked away from him. “I never said I did to begin with and it doesn’t matter what I feel for Godric since he clearly doesn’t feel anything for me.”  
Eric sputtered for a moment and cursed under his breath “If you honestly think Godric doesn’t feel anything for you then maybe you deserve to be with the boring journalist” he spat.   
I turned in my seat and glared at him “what’s that supposed to mean?”   
“Even the dimwitted men of the fellowship were smart enough to realize how much Godric felt for you. Why do you think they took you rather than Ginger? She’s been around more, she would have been the easier one to crack for information” Eric snapped at me.   
I shook my head at him “they just misread the situation, Eric” just like I did “what else would they think when Godric was walking me home every night?”  
“The truth, woman! Why do you think Godric makes sure you get home? Do you really think it was my idea to walk you home? Do you think I walk all my employees’ home at the end of a shift?”   
Eric had stopped the car outside of my apartment building so I picked up my bag and reached for the door handle. “If he cared so much then why did he stop talking to me for so long? Why did you start walking me home? It’s fine Eric, you don’t have to try and convince me of something that doesn’t exist” I told him quietly.   
I stepped out of the car before he had a chance to reply and quickly made my way to the door. I went to push it open but suddenly Eric’s arm snaked around my arm and stopped me. He stood behind me, only a couple of inches between his chest and my back. His hand held mine to the door and his other gripped my shoulder.   
“You are going to listen to me, woman. He is scared. Scared that you will reject him and scared he is going to put you in danger and he’ll lose you. And now he’s scared that this damn journalist is a better match for you because he’s safe. So you better think twice before you go out because if you fuck things up and hurt my maker, I will make your life miserable, do you understand me?” Eric threatened.   
Chills ran up my spine at the threat so I forced myself to take a deep breath. I squeezed my eyes shut so I wasn’t faced with Eric’s pissed off reflection in the door. “I’ve tried, Eric. I’ve tried getting close to him but every time he starts to act like he might be interested in me, he shuts down and keeps me at arm’s length. I don’t know what you want me to do” I breathed, shoulders slumping in defeat.   
I would have given anything to believe that it was as easy as telling Godric that I cared about him and I thought even Eric must realize that even if Godric did care about me, that wouldn’t be the end of things.   
Eric spat a long string of curses before releasing me though he still hovered just behind me “Keep trying, Alyssa. Go on this date if you have to, but don’t give up on him yet” his tone had changed from angry to as defeated as I felt. He was practically pleading with me.   
I didn’t know how to respond so I decided it was best if I didn’t. I pushed the door open, half expecting Eric to stop me again but he didn’t, and I made my way up to my apartment without hearing anything from him again. 

I did decide to keep my date with Jim and met him at a small restaurant for dinner on Monday evening. I had donned a light blue peplum dress and a knit black cardigan that was just about the same length as the dress. The restaurant he had picked wasn’t fancy so I didn’t feel like I needed to dress up too much. He was already there when I arrived and he stood to pull out my chair for me as soon as he saw me. I blushed slightly as he pushed me into the table.   
I didn’t have much date experience but I thought it probably wasn’t a very common thing for men to do judging by the pleased look on the waitress’s face.   
“Can I get you two something to drink while you look over your menus?” She offered, holding a notepad at the ready.   
Jim smiled at me “do you drink wine, Alyssa? Would you like a glass?” he offered.   
I thought about it for a moment and nodded “Yes please, red.”  
Jim nodded and ordered us two glasses. I flicked through the menu idly.   
“I hope this restaurant is ok, Alyssa” Jim said over the top of his menu.   
I peeked up at him and shrugged “I’ve never actually been here before. But I don’t mind trying new places” I assured him.   
Jim seemed reassured “I’ve never been here either. Some people I work with suggested it actually. I’m pretty new to town.”  
Conversation flowed smoothly between us and I found the night passing quicker than I had anticipated. First dates had always made me anxious. I didn’t know what to expect, or how my date would behave. I found myself worrying for hours before about what we would talk about and what I would do if we ran out of things to talk about. How would I fill the time if we got stuck in an awkward silence?  
So to find that Jim carried the conversation easily and dinner passed smoothly.   
Jim walked me home after we finished eating as it was already dark out. I paused at the door to my building, unsure of how to proceed. The date had gone well, of that there was no doubt. But what came next? Would he kiss me? Was I supposed to kiss him? Did I want to?   
He was fairly attractive, and had been a gentleman the entire night. We had found many things in common and I had enjoyed talking to him. But I had also found my mind drifting frequently while he talked. There was plenty to talk about, he was chatty, but almost none of it really interested me. And he was attractive, sure, but only passably so.   
I was saved from fretting any longer when Jim stepped forward and hugged me briefly before stepping back.   
“I had a very good night, Alyssa. Thank you for coming out with me” Jim spoke, a warm smile on his face.   
I fiddled with the sleeve of my sweater awkwardly, glancing up at him briefly “I had a good time as well. I’ll see you later?”   
Jim agreed and bid me a good night. I turned and pulled the door open, stepping inside quickly. I needed to talk to Evan, I decided. She was good at helping me sort out what I was thinking and what I would do next. 

“He sounds boring” Evan huffed, curling her nose up at me.   
I shrugged “I guess he’s not thrilling. But he’s nice.”  
“Oh sure” she exclaimed “that’s exactly how you want to describe your boyfriend when people ask what he’s like. ‘Well he’s nice….and not ugly.’ It’s what every girl dreams of!”  
I frowned at her “alright, there’s no need to get snippy with me.”  
Evan threw her hands up “I just don’t understand! Why are you going out with this guy when you have Godric?”  
“I don’t have Godric. He hardly speaks to me anymore” I groaned.   
“But Eric said he was in love with you” Evan pointed out, taking a bite out of her burger.  
It had turned into a nice summer afternoon so I had fried us hamburgers and we had taken them out onto the front lawn of the apartment to eat. It wasn’t exactly a picnic but it was as close as we were probably going to get without taking a bus somewhere.   
“Eric could be wrong” I countered “he could be misreading Godric.”  
Evan shook her head emphatically “not about Godric he wouldn’t be. That’s his maker. They have a bond. And besides, if he’s going to talk to anyone about how he feels, it’s going to be Eric, right?”  
I had to admit she had a point. Eric, if anyone, should know what Godric thought and surely even vampires were included in the need to vent to someone about feelings. Eric was the only one I could think of that Godric would even talk to about something like this. And Eric wouldn’t just make up information like what he had told me. He didn’t seem like the type for idle gossip. Especially when it came to his maker.   
“What do I do, Ev?” I groaned, burying my head in my hands.   
“Well” she hummed, drumming her fingers on her knee “we need a plan.”


	13. Chapter 13

I had been unsure about going over to the vampire’s house the following night, but Eric had called me as the sun was going down to let me know that a car would be there shortly to pick me up. So I rushed to get ready under Evan’s watchful eye and made the car ride with my stomach doing flips.   
No one was in the entry way when I arrived so I peeked into the rooms on the main floor first. Pam was in the kitchen wearing a silk dressing gown and slippers, warming up bags of blood.   
“Here, bring this up to Godric for me” She demanded as she poured one of the bags into a tall glass.   
I snorted “hello to you too Pam. Where is he?” I questioned.   
Pam jutted her chin upwards “in his room. Sounds like he just got out of the shower.”   
I raised my eyebrows, wondering if that meant I should wait before going up but she gave me an impatient look and waved me away. I hesitated in front of Godric’s door for a minute, trying to decide if I should knock or not.   
“You can come in, little one” Godric’s voice called through the door.   
Blushing at being caught I pushed open the door and stepped inside. My eyes fell on Godric and widened in surprise. He was wearing loose cotton pants that hung low on his hips but nothing else. His hair was still dripping and droplets ran down his back. I stood gaping at him, taking in the sight of his well sculpted back and the dimples on the small of his back. He had been reaching into a dresser presumably for a shirt but paused when I came in.   
“Ah, I, ah, brought you…that is to say…Pam sent me up with this for you” I stuttered out, holding up the glass.   
Godric glanced over his shoulder at me and gave me a small smile “thank you for bringing it up, little one.”  
Godric turned and strode towards me and I found myself gaping at him even more. He looked like a sculpture or photographs of celebrities in magazines. His chest was defined and the muscles corded around his arms and into his strong shoulders. The tattoos I had glimpsed on his chest were fascinating and I wanted to trace my fingers over them. I was startled out of my thoughts by Godric’s hand touching mine as he took the glass from me.   
My eyes flew up to his face, my cheeks flushing scarlet. Godric had a strange look on his face almost like he was satisfied by something and a mischievous glint in his eyes. The spark in his eyes was something I realized I hadn’t seen in a while, not since before I had been kidnapped.   
“If it is bothering you, little one, I can put a shirt on” Godric offered nonchalantly.   
I blushed even more and shook my head “no, I mean if you want to. But it doesn’t bother me. I just, uh, well I haven’t really seen these tattoos and they caught my attention.” I admitted, and it wasn’t a complete lie, I was very interested in his tattoos.   
Godric hummed in understanding, his hand idly touching the tattoo around his collar bone. “I admit that I sometimes forget they are there and that you have not seen them. You can examine them if you like.”  
I couldn’t refuse his offer so I stepped closer to him and circled around to his back. I had caught glimpses of his other tattoos in the past but the one down his spine was entirely new to me. As was the strange circular mark on his shoulder. Godric turned his head so he could see me out of the corner of his eye. Slowly, I brought my hand up and trailed it along the outline of his tattoo. His shoulders stiffened for a moment before he relaxed but the muscles along his back jumped under my hand. My hand moved from the sea serpent twisting down his back to the peculiar circle. It wasn’t a tattoo, it almost looked like a burn.   
“What is this, Godric?” I asked him quietly.   
“A brand, put on me by my maker before he turned me” Godric explained.   
I gaped at him for a moment. Godric had mentioned once before that he had killed his maker and that it was a rare occurrence but I had never pressed for why. Although I was fairly certain that the brand on his shoulder was only a small thing in comparison to the other things his maker must have done to cause Godric to kill him, I was still shocked to see such a painful looking thing.   
“How did your date go, if you don’t mind me asking” Godric inquired after a moment of awkward silence.   
I hadn’t been expecting him to ask about it and even less the bitter tone in his voice when he did. I pursed my lips at him and raised my eyebrow in challenge “it was alright. Why? Is there a problem?” I demanded.   
Godric met my look with a scowl “no, of course not, why would I have a problem with that?” he snapped.   
“Good” I spoke through gritted teeth, crossing my arms over my chest “because you don’t have any say over who I date.” I stepped away from him and Godric spun to glare at me.   
It was easy to forget sometimes that Godric was as old as he was, but the power that came off of him not to mention the waves of anger reminded me that was much older and much more powerful than I was. It wasn’t exactly that he scared me, I knew Godric wouldn’t hurt me. But some part of me, deep down, recognized that he was not just an attractive young man. He was two millennia old and a vampire to boot.  
All of the planning that Evan and I had done the previous night left my mind in an instant. I had intended to be coy, make him jealous even. But his anger over me going on a date made me angry. What right did he have if he wasn’t going to make a move towards me to judge who I was spending my time with? If he wanted a say in it then he should have spoken up before the fact, I told myself angrily.   
“No” he spat “you’ve made it very clear that I don’t!”   
Godric was taking steps towards me and I found myself backing away from him, trying to keep a couple of feet between us. My anger was fighting with the urge to throw my hands up in surrender from the glare he had trained on me. I found myself backing up without intending to, automatically trying to keep space between us. It was like I was a small bunny being stalked by a wolf.  
“Why do you even care who I date?” I shouted at him even as I took a hasty step back.   
Godric’s fists clenched by his sides “You can’t be serious! You dangle this man in front of me! It is a cruel way of making your point!”  
I threw my hands up in frustration “I have no idea what you’re talking about! Just because you don’t want to be with me doesn’t mean I can’t be with anyone.”   
My back hit the wall and I watched him with wide eyes as he closed in on me. We were hardly six inches apart and he glowered down at me. Without warning he spun away from me, picked up a vase from the nearby side table and chucked it across the room. It shattered into a spray of glass, water, and flowers against the wall and I flinched in surprise.   
Godric’s shoulders heaved with heavy breaths. His back was facing me and his fists squeezed tightly together at his sides.   
I felt instantly bad for yelling at him. There were better ways to handle the situation than yelling. He seemed to come to the same conclusion because he took a deep breath and dragged his hand down his face.   
“I am sorry, little one. That was uncalled for” Godric apologized, his voice soft and full of regret.   
I took a slow step forward, unsure of what I was doing, and then another until I was only a foot or so from his back. Hesitantly, I lifted my hand and touched his shoulder. I could just barely see the side of Godric’s face. He was frowning down at the carpet, looking as if he had just kicked a puppy by accident.   
“Can you please tell me what’s wrong?” I pleaded, trying to catch his eye.  
Godric turned his head slightly so that he could look at me. His hand raised as if in slow motion to cover mine on his shoulder. His hand was gentle, his finger curved softly over my knuckles to grip lightly at my skin. His dark eyes peered back at me, considering. I could feel the weight of them on me and it was his eyes, not his hand that pinned me down. I was frozen like a deer in headlights.   
Eventually Godric sighed and nodded. He turned, his hand still holding mine, to face me. Dark eyes dropped to examine our hands and he sighed.   
“I am a monster, Alyssa” Godric breathed.   
I opened my mouth to protest without hesitation but his free hand raised before I could make a sound like he knew I was going to deny it. Resolved to let him speak and then tell him how wrong he was I closed my mouth and waited.  
“I am a monster” he repeated “perhaps I behave differently now but there are still many being out there who once called me ‘death’. I was a savage and I killed for sport. I was worse than any vampire has ever been since. This I must live with, as you once convinced me it was better to attempt to atone for my choices than escape from them. But if that is to be my path, then how can I be so selfish as to try and keep you close to me? Yet when this journalist who would be safe and normal for you tries to get close to you- and you let him- I can’t help but get angry even as I am telling myself this is what is best. I simultaneously want to wish you both happiness and at the same time tear his throat out for thinking he can touch you” Godric explained, his voice getting more and more heated as he spoke. “But no matter what I do I find myself fighting you and pushing you further away.”  
I took time to think over what he had said and to decide on how I would respond. I knew Godric had a violent past, I knew after killing his maker he had been feral and on the run for several years but I did not know much else about him. He and the others were rather close-lipped about his past where they were fairly open about Eric’s as well as Pam’s. But I had noticed how even the vampires in the Authority had had a great deal of respect for him and the vampires who frequented Fangtasia steered clear of him. It had taken me some time to realize that it wasn’t just because Godric was so old, but also because of his reputation. I had indeed heard several people refer to him as death though I thought it made Godric rather uncomfortable. But did it bother me that he had such a dark past? I considered it and decided that Godric had become a much different person since then. I might’ve had problems with the things he had done, of which I intended to get more information, but I was confident that Godric would never hurt me nor anyone else if he had an alternative.  
I realized I could spend the whole night debating what was best and how things would play out but it didn’t change what I thought or felt for Godric, nor what I wanted.   
“Maybe you were a monster, Godric. I don’t know enough about your past to say you weren’t. But I do want you to learn about it. Nothing that you did then is going to change the way I feel about you now because the way I see it, you’re a different person than you were. And maybe you’re right, Jim is a normal, safe person. But even if you won’t have me, Jim was never an option for me. I care about you, Godric, and I want to be with you” I admitted, my cheeks flushing red at my confession.   
This hadn’t been the plan at all and I felt silly making declarations like we were in a sappy romance movie. But the tentative smile that bloomed across Godric’s face made it worth it. He peeked up at me from under his lashes and he held my hand a little bit more securely.   
He opened his mouth to say something but paused. His eyes snapped over to the door and a serious look took over his face. His mouth pulled into a frown and he dropped my hand.   
“What? What’s wrong?” I questioned, searching his face for answers.   
“They found him” was all Godric said. He swung the door open and ushered me out hastily.   
Godric’s hand landed on the small of my back to lead me down the hall towards the stairs. He seemed deep in thought and his expression had gone to the carefully blank look that he often got in the presence of strangers. I wanted to stop and ask him what was happening and who he was talking about but he hurried me down the stairs and before I had the chance we were in the entry way.   
A tall man, as tall as Eric, stood in the doorway. His broad shoulders took up the door frame and tight curls of inky black hair tumbled past his shoulders. I couldn’t make up my mind if I thought he was attractive or odd looking. His eyes, as black as his hair, were deep set under his brows and a long straight nose hovered over thin lips that looked almost too big. He was thin and almost lanky but I could see the muscles that corded around his frame.   
I halted in my tracks as soon as we reached the base of the stairs and Godric moved to stand slightly in front of me. I didn’t know what to make of the man, nor the way the vampires reacting. They seemed defensive and anxious but Godric had said they had ‘found him’ which implied that they had wanted to see him in the first place. Eric was standing between us and him, arms crossed over his chest and from what I could see of his face, his expression was cross.   
The man gave off the same feeling that Godric did when he wanted to exert his power. It screamed ‘I am much older than you can imagine and so much more powerful than you’.   
“Is this her?” He asked with a nod in my direction.   
He had a strange accent that I couldn’t place. It was lilting and pretty sounding even though his voice was deep and rough, but he put emphasis in strange places.   
Eric nodded shortly “this is Alyssa. Alyssa this is Bael, a demon” Eric introduced over his shoulder in a strained voice.   
I gaped at Eric and then at Bael. His dark eyes ghosted over me as if he was sizing me up. A demon? Was he serious? I didn’t know what to do. Why was he here? And more importantly, why was he looking for me?  
“What’s going on?” I demanded, looking from Godric to Eric and finally the demon standing in the entryway.   
“Why don’t we sit down and discuss things? Perhaps you have tea that can be made?” Bael asked, his voice like gravel. He looked at Eric expectantly for a moment before Eric gave in and turned to lead us all into the dining room. Godric made sure that he walked ahead of me, putting the demon in between himself and Eric and shielding me from him.   
I wasn’t sure how capable Eric was at making tea since I suspected Eric had never gone out of his way to appear human at any time. But when we reached the dining room Eric veered off and headed for the kitchen. Godric motioned Bael towards and chair and pulled one out for me on the opposite side of the table. He took a seat next to me and shifted so he could face me.   
“I promised you quite some time ago that we would look into why you have the abilities that you do. A couple of weeks ago we found some information that led us to one on Bael’s underlings. It appears that Bael had a human child at approximately the same time that you were born and the offspring of demons and humans are usually gifted with certain abilities such as telekinesis” Godric explained slowly.   
My eyes widened. Was he implying what I thought he was? Did Godric mean to tell me that they thought the reason that I had my abilities was because I was half-demon? Could that even happen? My head was spinning trying to figure out what that meant and how it was going to affect me. Did it mean I was evil? Was I going to go to hell when I died?   
“When I heard that these vampires might have their hands on a child of mine I began investigating immediately. I had to know, you see, whether you were involved with them as a choice of your own or not. I also had my underlings look into your family history and I do in fact remember your mother. So it is likely that you are my child” Bael informed me, flashing a toothy grin.   
I tried to figure out what I was supposed to say to him. Should I be happy to know where I really came from or scared because this demon was claiming to be my father and everyone seemed to agree with him?   
“If you’re my father then why didn’t you try to contact me? Why did you let my dad raise me?” I demanded.   
Bael’s smile faltered for a moment before he spoke. Clearly that wasn’t what he had thought I would say. “I was not aware you were mine. It is not common for half-demon children to survive let alone appear as human as you do. When your mother was pregnant she assured me it wasn’t mine and after she died I had no way to know until you grew up. By that time I had lost track of you” he explained.   
“Did she know what you were?” I asked him without hesitation. It seemed very important to know whether my mother had been aware of demons and had still chose to sleep with one. It didn’t surprise me that my mother had had an affair on my father simply because he was a disgusting person and from what my grandmother had said it had never been a good relationship.   
Bael nodded “she did. I will admit that it was quite some time after we had been… involved that she found out. But she did know before she was pregnant with you.”  
I thought it over for several minutes. I had so many questions for him about my mother. He was the only person alive now who could tell me about her. I wanted to know what she was like, if I was much like her, and how they had met and begun an affair. Not to mention how she had reacted when she found out the man she was sleeping with was actually a demon. Maybe she had known about vampires as well though they wouldn’t have been out of the coffin at the time. Or perhaps the demon sitting across from me had told her about them. I realized that if this man was my actual father then Evan wasn’t my sister, or not by blood anyway. I would have to figure out a way to tell her all of this and hope she wouldn’t think I was evil. Was I?   
“What does this mean for me? What happens now?” I questioned, looking between the vampire beside me and the demon across the table.  
“Nothing has to change, Alyssa” Godric assured me “we only wanted you to know where you came from and if you want, Bael can help you master your abilities.”  
“On the other hand, everything can change. You would be more than welcome to return with me and learn about your abilities and where you come from first hand” he offered “telekinesis is just the beginning of what you can do my dear.”  
I was shocked at his suggestion. What could possibly make him think that I would want to drop everything and go off with him to spend time with people that up until five minutes ago I didn’t know existed? I shook my head quickly “look, I don’t mean to offend you, but I’m not going to just leave with you. I don’t even know you. I’d appreciate the help with learning to control my abilities but if you aren’t willing to help unless I come with you then it’s just not going to happen. I’ve made do without you for my whole life, I can keep doing that” I informed him, forcing myself to stare him down.   
Bael seemed surprised but schooled his features into a pleasant expression after a moment “Of course. Well, the offer stands if you ever change your mind. Nevertheless I am more than willing to help you, child. Call it paternal instinct but I am curious to know you and for you to know me better as well” he confessed.   
I nodded in agreement. I was curious as well to know more about demons and especially the one across the table from me. There were so many things I needed to think over that I could hardly pay enough attention to carrying on a conversation. Luckily Eric came in a moment later carrying a tray full of tea things. He had a put out expression on his face and I got the feeling he didn’t like being ordered around by anyone. The tray was set on the table with more force than necessary and he simply waved at it in invitation before settling into a seat at the head of the table.   
Bael poured him and me a cup and asked what I took with my tea. I didn’t have the heart to say that I didn’t normally drink tea after Eric had been made to go to the trouble of making it so I sipped idly at the tea and used it as an excuse to not speak.   
Bael allowed the silence to stretch for several minutes before he began questioning me about my life and interests. It was almost like an interview since I didn’t know what was and wasn’t okay to ask him so I mostly just answered his questions.   
The demon’s phone buzzing in his pocket brought our conversation to a halt. He snapped a few words into the phone in a strange language that matched his accent before standing. “Unfortunately I must go. I will leave you with a number that you can use to contact me. Please do not hesitate if you would like to expand on your gift or if you have any questions for me” Bael instructed, placing a business card pointedly on the table.   
I nodded and took the card. A moment later he had whisked out of the room and the sound of the door closing followed shortly after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I Hope you enjoyed these chapters! Please let me know what you think!!   
> I seem to have a 'chapter dump' pattern going on here, and I definitely don't mean to! Also, I've read over my chapters and I've noticed that I'm sorely in need of someone to proof-read for me.... I don't know if there's a way to message other users on here or not. So if someone knows and is also interested then please do that! But also if someone would be interested but doesn't, I'm also posting this on fanfiction . net under the same title...so you could message me there maybe?


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It feels like it's been a long time since I last updated! But here it is and it's a bit longer than the others so maybe that will make up for it! I found a proofreader/beta/editor! She goes by CornMuffinsMama on Fanfiction, so a big thank you to her for helping make this story even better!  
> Please enjoy and let me know what you think and any feedback you have for me!

I waited nervously for Evan to come home from work the evening after meeting Bael. I was a wreck on the sofa, checking my phone every five minutes as it got closer to the time when Evan usually got home. When the door finally swung open, I nearly jumped out of my skin I was so surprised. She went about her usual routine of shucking her uniform and changing into pajamas. She pulled her hair up into a messy bun and grabbed the juice out of our fridge. I was too scared to speak so I sat there meekly watching her. She turned around with a tall glass of orange juice in hand and caught sight of me from the corner of her eye. A frown creased her face and she cocked her head to the side.  
“What’s got you all riled up?” Evan questioned, moving closer to me.  
I fidgeted nervously with my hands and dropped my eyes. “Well… you were in bed this morning when I got home and uh, well, I didn’t want to wake you up, but…” I bit my lip anxiously and risked a glance up at her.  
Evan’s expression was a picture of concern. She set her glass down and came to sit beside me. She reached out to grab my hand in support and peered over at me. “What’s wrong?”  
I took a couple of deep breaths. I had been practicing how I was going to tell Evan about Bael all day. I had hardly been able to sleep after Godric drove me home because I was so nervous. Godric had tried to reassure me as much as he could on the drive home and while it had helped at the time, as soon as he left I started to freak out again. I began to wish that I had waited until sundown so that he could be there when I told Evan. She probably wouldn’t appreciate it, especially if she was upset or freaked out by my news, but Godric carried an aura of calm around him that settled my nerves. I had a feeling that sometimes he used it as much to calm the people around him as he did to keep himself calm.  
“When I was at Godric’s last night, I met someone,” I began. “Eric and Godric had been looking into where I got my abilities and they…well they found him,” I mumbled.  
“Found who, Aly? What’s going on?” Evan coaxed, her thumb stroking the back of my hand soothingly.  
My mouth worked anxiously for a moment before I found words again. “My…well my real father. David isn’t my dad, Ev,” I admitted.  
Evan gaped at me. “What do you mean? I don’t understand.”  
“My mom, she had an affair. But that’s not the worst of it. He’s a demon, Ev. My real father is a demon and that means I’m half demon and we aren’t even real sisters and I’m a monster and I hope you don’t hate me but I would totally understand if you do,” I rambled like water from a burst pipe. I clamped my lips together hastily to stop the flow of words and refused to meet Evans eyes as she digested the information.  
“You’re my sister, Aly, I would never hate you,” Evan assured me after several long minutes.  
My eyes flew up to her face. Her eyebrows were pulled together as she thought about everything, but her expression was fierce when she met my eyes.  
“But we aren’t really sisters Ev. We aren’t even related,” I insisted.  
Evan scoffed and curled her lip at me. “We are so sisters, Aly. Don’t you tell me that we aren’t just because it turns out we don’t share genetics. We have been through more shit together than most sisters go through in a life time. What’s that saying, anyway, the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb or something? I chose you to be my sister and nothing is ever going to change that,” Evan persisted, gripping my hand tighter.  
Tears welled in my eyes. I had been so worried that I would lose Evan, the only family I really had, when she found out about what I was. It had been the scariest part of the whole thing. I already knew I was different though I had never imagined I would be as different as being half-demon. But I couldn’t imagine not having Evan in my life and the thought of her being disgusted by me had torn at me all day.  
“Even though I’m a monster?” I checked cautiously.  
Evan frowned at me. “You aren’t a monster, Aly. Are Godric and Eric monsters just because they aren’t human? No. They are closer to being monsters, what with their past, than you’ll ever be.”  
I pulled Evan close to me and hugged her thankfully. “You’re the best, Ev.”  
Evan wrapped her arms around me and rested her head against mine. “I know,” she sighed.  
I chuckled and shook my head at her.  
“Are you going to see Godric tonight?” Evan asked after some time.  
I nodded against her shoulder and sighed before straightening up. I needed to start getting ready soon and now that I had talked to Evan I felt a thousand times better.  
Evan raised her eyebrow suggestively and smiled. “Are you gonna get a piece of that?” she joked.  
I shoved her shoulder and laughed, thinking back to the previous night, before Bael had appeared. I had confessed that I wanted to be with Godric, and he had been on the verge of saying something, but had been interrupted. When he had driven me home afterwards, we had both been distracted with the developments of the night and it hadn’t been brought up. I didn't know where we stood anymore.  
“I doubt it,” I finally said and shrugged.  
Evan ‘tsk-ed’ at me. “Well, you should at least try, right?”  
I rolled my eyes as I stood from the couch. The driver would be there shortly to pick me up and I was still dressed in comfy clothes. “Sure, Ev. I’ll give it a shot,” I scoffed.  
My phone buzzed in my pocket signaling I had a phone call. Confused, I pulled it out and glanced at the number. Godric was calling me.  
“Hello?” I answered.  
“Hello Alyssa,” Godric greeted.  
I couldn’t help the small smile that pushed the corners of my mouth up at the sound of his voice “Hi Godric. What’s up?”   
Godric hesitated for a moment before speaking “I was wondering if it would be acceptable to you for me to pick you up tonight rather than our usual driver?” he questioned.  
My eyebrows came together at his words. I wondered why he wasn’t sending his driver for me like he had done every night. It meant I got to the house just as the sun was setting. Not that I was against the idea of spending a bit of extra time alone with Godric. “Of course that’s fine. Is everything ok?” I asked, just to be sure there wasn’t some sort of emergency.  
“Yes, everything is fine little one. I just thought perhaps you would like to have dinner somewhere before coming here,” Godric offered.  
I gaped in shock for a moment. Was Godric asking me out? Was this supposed to be a date? I couldn’t see how he could mean it any other way. Butterflies erupted in my stomach and I couldn’t figure out how to respond. With a forceful shake of my head I did my best to pull myself together. “That would be great Godric. Where were you thinking? So I’ll know how to dress,” I hummed into the phone.  
Godric thought for a moment before replying “I have heard good things about Vetri, it is a small Italian restaurant. Would this be acceptable to you?”  
I had heard of Vetri before, it had been open only a handful of years and was a very classy restaurant. It was fancy, I had heard they served amazing food. I was practically drooling with the thought of eating there. “That would be wonderful, Godric. You’ll have to give me some time to get ready though,” I warned.  
“That is fine, little one. I am unable to leave until the sun has set at any rate,” Godric reminded me.  
“Alright Godric. I’ll see you soon,” I smiled into the phone.  
I thought I could probably hear the smile in Godric’s voice as well as he said goodbye.  
I turned excitedly to Evan as I pocketed my phone “Vetri! He’s taking me to dinner at Vetri, Evan!” I exclaimed.  
Evan gasped and a wide grin broke out across her face “Really? Lucky! What a first date!”  
I flushed and nodded emphatically “You think it’s a date? He didn’t really say, but it has to be right?” I prompted.  
Evan snorted. “Of course it is. So make sure you wear cute underwear!”  
I scowled playfully at Evan. “I’m not going to sleep with him Ev!”  
Nevertheless, I was much more conscious of what underwear I decided on when I got dressed for the night.  
While I waited anxiously for Godric to arrive, I fiddled with the hem of my dress. I had been wanting an occasion to wear it for the longest time. If it had been a darker color I would have worn it to work but the soft blue would have clashed with the deep reds and blacks of Fangtasia. But it was short and fit my body like a glove. The neckline was made of delicate black lace that fastened at the back of my neck with two small buttons. The black lace circled the otherwise open back and it made a nice contrast to how pale my skin was. I was just about to start pacing the hall when there was a knock at the door.  
I swung the door open to see Godric standing on the other side. All thoughts left my mind at the sight of him standing in front of me in dark slacks and a light blue dress shirt. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and the fabric was tight across his upper arms and chest to accentuate his muscles. The first couple of buttons had been left undone and showed off the smooth skin of his chest and the top of his tattoo. His pants fit as if they had been made specifically for him and I supposed it was possible that they had been. I wasn’t used to seeing him in anything other than his loose linen clothes and I was floored by the change.  
I had opened my mouth to greet him but couldn’t find the words. Slowly I dragged my eyes back up to his face and was startled by his expression. Godric’s lips were parted slightly and he was staring at me with wide, hungry eyes. I gulped nervously as his eyes slipped across my body. I could practically feel him looking at me. We hadn’t even made it out of my front door but I was suddenly very glad I had worn nice underwear-if he kept looking at me like that, I had a feeling he might be glad I had later as well.  
Godric cleared his throat and snapped his eyes back to me, a slightly guilty expression on his face.  
“Good evening, Alyssa,” Godric greeted, his voice rough.  
I swallowed thickly and nodded. “Hello Godric.”  
“Shall we?” he invited, motioning down the hall.  
I smiled and stepped out of the apartment. Godric offered me his arm so I shyly placed my hand in the crook of his elbow, my fingers brushing against the bare skin of his forearm.  
“You look beautiful, Alyssa,” Godric mentioned casually when he held the front door of my building open for me.  
I flushed a deep red and couldn’t help the pleased smile that spread across my face. “Thank you Godric,” I hummed. “You look very nice as well. I don’t think I’ve seen you in dress pants before.”  
Godric looked down at himself before looking back at me with a small smile. “No, I suppose not. I thought perhaps this would be appropriate tonight.”  
Godric opened the car door for me and waited while I slipped into the seat to close it behind me. He was in the seat beside me a second later and the car purred to life under us. Godric wove in and out of the traffic smoothly and we arrived at the restaurant much quicker than I had expected. The parking lot was crowded and I wondered if it would be very busy inside. Godric flashed around to open the door for me and offered his hand as I stepped out. I clasped his hand in mine and Godric smoothly interlaced our fingers. It was a very small thing and I thought it probably didn’t mean anything to Godric but the small act made me happy.  
“Have you been here before, little one?” Godric asked curiously as we approached the front door.  
I shook my head no, sending several strands of hair tumbling over my shoulder. “I’ve heard great things about it though. Thank you for taking me here, Godric.”  
Godric smiled at me. “It is my pleasure, Alyssa. I will admit to having selfish motives. I am glad to have the time to spend alone with you. My progeny can be…over bearing at times,” Godric confessed.  
I flushed at his words. Godric wanted to spend time with me, just me.  
A woman waited at a small podium just inside the door. She gave us a polite smile as we approached.  
“For two?” she questioned, picking up two menus as she assumed that would be our answer.  
Godric nodded slightly. “Yes, we have reservations, under Godric” he informed her.  
The woman’s mouth popped open into a startled ‘o’ but she recovered a moment later. “Yes of course, sir. Your table is right this way.” She turned on her heel and directed us into the dining area.  
Godric motioned for me to go first and placed his hand lightly on the small of my back. His fingertips brushed at the exposed skin of my back, causing shivers to erupt down my spine. I glanced back at him shyly to find him watching me.  
The hostess stopped at a table and I looked around. We were tucked into the corner of the restaurant and though it was busy it still managed to feel private. Our table had a nice view of the city and since the sun had gone down it was lit up nicely. I thought it would make a nice picture and filed it away with the other places around the city that were beautiful at night.  
I thanked the hostess and slid into the booth. It had been designed for two people as the benches were short, but the high backs and plush fabric made the table comfortable and private even though there was another couple in a similar booth behind me.  
“This is really nice,” I commented as I reached for a menu, “but are you sure you want to sit and watch me eat? You won’t get bored?” I questioned, suddenly insecure.  
Godric shook his head without hesitation, reaching for the drink menu poised at the end of the table. “I have yet to find myself bored in your company, Alyssa. And though etiquette has changed very much since my time, I believe dinner is a popular first date in this age?” Godric questioned, dropping his eyes to the menu in an almost shy fashion.  
I was sure I was the color of a tomato. So it was a date then. And Godric was trying to impress me. Well he had certainly succeeded already. Not that I wasn’t already impressed by him. “Y-yes, this is a good first date,” I stammered nervously.  
Godric glanced up at me and smirked when he noticed how much I was blushing. “You do turn a lovely shade of red, little one,” he chuckled. I marveled for a moment at how quickly Godric shifted from a shy young man on a first date to a confident vampire and back. One minute he was shyly smiling at me and the next he was making me flustered as he teased me.  
His comment only made me blush harder and I resolutely looked down at the menu to give myself time to get under control again.  
Our waiter came by several minutes later to get our orders. When Godric revealed that he was a vampire, the man’s whole demeanor changed. He glanced between us nervously and stumbled over his words. I frowned at him, wondering whether he was nervous to be serving a vampire, scared, or perhaps excited.  
There was a strong vampire population in Shreveport and in the towns around it. Most people in the area had interacted with a vampire at one point or another. Perhaps, I thought, he had never had to serve a vampire before and didn’t want to embarrass himself. I could remember how flustered I had been the first time I had served a vampire. He could have had a bad experience before as well, I reasoned, and was therefore cautious of Godric. He didn’t know him in the least so how was he to say if Godric would be the type to threaten him or try to feed off of him. I found the last option my least favorite. He could be excited that Godric was a vampire. Perhaps he was hoping that Godric would want to feed off of him. The thought made me jealous even though I knew there wasn’t much of a chance Godric would feed off of a human let alone a random waiter.  
The waiter had turned to take my order and seemed like he was almost bracing himself for it. I ordered a glass of wine, and a ravioli dish that practically had me drooling just from the description. He seemed shocked that I had ordered a dish and glanced nervously between us for an awkward amount of time before he seemed to realize what he was doing.  
When he had left I turned to Godric with a confused expression. “What do you think was bothering him so much?” I wondered.  
Godric scowled after the waiter and shook his head in displeasure. I had never seen Godric look so disappointed. “He is worried about you,” Godric grumbled. “At first, I believe he was simply nervous to be serving us. But now that he has realized you are human and I am a vampire, he is worried that I had lured you here to fool you into a false sense of security so I can take advantage of you,” he told me, his voice tired and unimpressed. “I say that, because that is what he is telling his manager.”  
I gaped after the waiter. “Wow. Really? Who just assumes that because we are at a restaurant together? There are so many other explanations,” I huffed.  
Godric gave me a sad smile. “Unfortunately, most humans have a tendency to think the worst of my kind. I cannot blame them.”  
I pursed my lips at Godric. “I may not have met many vampires, but I’ve met a whole lot of humans. And they’ve been a whole lot ruder than most vampires I’ve met. I’m sorry Godric, it must be hard to deal with that all the time.”  
Godric shrugged. “It is something you get used to after a time. I only regret that we must deal with it tonight.”  
Our waiter returned with our drinks a moment later. He set my wine glass gently in front of me and gave me a pleading expression as if he was hoping I would leap into his arms and scream for him to save me. Instead I gave him an unimpressed look and turned away from him. He seemed surprised by my reaction and quickly set Godric’s glass in front of him before scurrying away.  
“Did you speak to your sister about Bael?” Godric asked gently.  
I nodded my head. “We talked today. She took it really well. Better than I did, I think,” I smiled. I took a sip of my wine and frowned at the glass. It had a strange taste to it.  
Godric returned my smile “I am glad. Though I had no doubt that your sister would not be fazed by the news. I don’t think there is much of anything that could come between you,” Godric commented.  
I agreed and took another sip of my wine, wondering if the strange taste would go away. It hadn’t and I crinkled my nose at it.  
“Is something wrong, little one?” Godric asked, tilting his head to the side.  
I shrugged and motioned to my glass. “I’m not sure. It just tastes strange. My taste buds are probably just off tonight. I’m sure it’s nothing.”  
Godric frowned and reached his hand out, pausing a couple of inches from my glass. “May I?” he asked. I passed him the glass, wondering what he intended to do.  
Godric dipped a finger into the wine and flinched, pulling his hand back immediately. His fangs dropped and he hissed in pain. “Silver. The waiter must have put it in your wine,” Godric explained.  
I had never seen Godric’s fangs before. They peeked out from under his top lip and pressed into his bottom lip. I once again was left with the feeling of being prey, except I wasn’t sure this time if I wanted to get away or not. I knew I should be concerned with the fact that a waiter had essentially drugged me. But all I could focus on was Godric’s mouth.  
He seemed to realize his fangs were out because they suddenly snapped back and Godric was trying to catch my eye. “Little one?” He prompted “are you alright?”  
I shook myself and took a deep breath. “Yeah, sorry. He drugged me then? So that if you bit me, it would hurt you. That has to be illegal right?” I demanded. “He can’t just put things in my drink without my consent. What if I had been intending on feeding you?” The more I thought about it, the angrier I was getting.  
“I am sorry, little one. Would you like to leave?” Godric offered.  
I thought about it for a couple of minutes. I was working up to being royally pissed off at the waiter. But did I want to leave? I was looking forward to what had started out as a romantic date with Godric, and now that I had ordered food I excited to try it. So no, I decided, I didn’t want to leave.  
I told Godric as much and he raised his eyebrows in surprise. “But can you glamor him to make sure he doesn’t put anything in my food? Or in your drink. What if there’s silver in your drink?” I asked, realizing Godric hadn’t taken a drink yet.  
Godric gave his glass a suspicious look and dipped his pinky in to test it. When he didn’t flinch but instead licked the blood off of his finger, I felt a little better. At least he hadn’t tried to directly poison Godric. “I believe it would have been too obvious had he put it in my glass,” Godric noted.  
Our waiter came back to check on us and Godric took the opportunity to make sure that my food wouldn’t have anything extra in it.  
Still very angry about the whole thing, I decided the waiter deserved to be messed with a bit. While he was distracted by Godric, I untied his shoe laces and mentally held his pant leg to the ground so that when he turned, he nearly stumbled into the table beside us and his pants yanked harshly down. His reflexes were better than I had expected and he managed to catch his pants before they got very far but he still turned beet red and had to apologize profusely to the table he had tripped into. I made sure to watch as he walked by the hostess stand so that when the large stack of menus suddenly toppled over, he thought it was his fault.  
I was satisfied for the moment and turned back to find Godric watching me with an amused look. “Your gift is quite useful, isn’t it?” he teased.  
I smiled guiltily. “I might as well embrace it right?”  
Godric chuckled and reached forward to place his hand over mine. I watched with interest as his thumb stroked over my knuckles. “I am glad that you are. It is, after all, a part of you.”  
I flushed happily and smiled down at our hands.

When I had finished eating and had my leftovers safely placed in a small Styrofoam container, Godric led me out of the restaurant, his hand pressed lightly on my back. When we approached the car Godric reached around me to open the door. I turned, cornered between Godric and the car, to thank him for taking me to dinner. I was surprised by how close Godric was. There was barely a hand span between us. I looked up at him, startled, and found him gazing down at me with a calm smile on his face.  
I gathered myself together to thank him. “Ah, thank you Godric, for taking me to dinner. It was really good. Aside from our waiter.”  
Godric shrugged it off. “I am glad you enjoyed yourself despite the troubles. With luck we will not have such problems next time.”  
The mention of a second date made my heart flutter in my chest. I had thought dinner had gone well but Godric could be so hard to read sometimes. He had seemed to enjoy himself but I hadn’t been sure he would want to go on another date. I beamed up at him. “I’m sure we won’t. Though it really wasn’t a big deal. I’m just glad we realized what he had done.”  
Godric dipped his head in agreement but it brought us that much closer. I realized I had unconsciously begun to tilt my face up towards him and my stomach did nervous flips. Was Godric finally going to kiss me? How often had I thought about what it would be like and how it would happen? Godric’s hand raised and his fingers brushed gently along my cheekbone to cup my jaw. His eyes met mine and held them as he bent down to meet me.  
His lips brushed against mine gently at first and I pressed forward to kiss him more firmly. My hands raised of their own accord to press against his neck in hopes of holding him to me. Our mouths moved against each other and the hand against my jaw slipped back into my hair as his other hand wound around my waist, urging me closer to him. I didn’t take much convincing and soon found myself pressed against the hard lines of his body. I couldn’t help the whimper that escaped me as his teeth grazed along my bottom lip. He growled in response and pulled me tighter against him. The kiss was quickly becoming heated as Godric pressed me against the side of the car. My fingers dug into his shoulder and twisted into the fabric of his shirt.  
“Godric! Looks like you have a tasty little date,” a deep voice drawled.  
Godric froze and slowly let me go. He gave me a hungry look that had a thrill shooting through me before he schooled his features into a neutral mask and turned to face whoever had interrupted us. I took several deep gulps of air in an attempt to calm myself down and peered over Godric’s shoulder.  
The man was tall and lean with sharp features and slicked back brown hair. His deep set eyes regard Godric and me indifferently but his fangs were down. I thought he was trying to look casual and unconcerned from the way he had stuffed his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket but his shoulders were tense.  
“Nathaniel. It has been a long time,” Godric noted, his voice low and warning.  
Nathaniel shrugged and looked past Godric and to me. The corner of his mouth quirked up and he tried to lock eyes with me. “Tasty little thing. You feel like sharing for old times’ sake?” he drawled.  
“Alyssa is mine,” Godric growled, his whole body tensing.  
The strange vampire held his hands up as if in surrender but his grin only widened. “Yours eh? I remember when I had a sweet little human to call my own. Do you remember Beth? I certainly hope your little pet doesn’t wind up like my Beth,” Nathaniel sneered.  
Godric growled in response “is that a threat, Nathaniel?” Godric demanded.  
The vampire shrugged. “Why would I threaten such a pretty little thing? I’m just saying you should keep an eye on her. Never know what’s going to happen when the sun comes up.”  
“If you attempt to lay even a finger on Alyssa, you will be reminded of what happens to those who cross me,” Godric threatened. His voice was like ice and he was seething in front of me.  
Even though his anger wasn’t directed at me, I was still frightened. Godric’s usually calm energy had morphed into a rolling ball of fury and power. It made me a little weak at the knees and I could see Nathaniel’s forced nonchalance starting to crack. He was stiff as a board and the muscles of his face worked as he clenched and unclenched his jaw.  
He forced a very fake sounding laugh and rolled his shoulders “I’ve heard you’ve gone soft, old friend. I just wouldn’t want some old enemy to take advantage of that.”  
Godric took a threatening step forward. “Do I look as if I have gone soft, old friend? Or would you like to test these rumors?” he snarled.  
Nathaniel stood his ground though his mouth pulled into a grimace and his eyes dropped. “Oh, you know I don’t buy into idle gossip. Anyway, I must be going. If you aren’t willing to share your dinner then I’m going to have to find some of my own.”  
Godric raised his chin and leveled the vampire with a look. “Mind your behavior while in my progeny's area, Nathaniel,” Godric warned.  
Nathaniel snorted and took several steps away from Godric. “Northman and I never did get along. Don’t worry I’m on my best behavior.”  
I had the feeling that this vampires ‘best behavior’ was several steps below what was ok. He gave me the creeps and the way he was talking to Godric made it clear that there was a lot more to their story than he had been hinting at. Nathaniel turned on his heel and sped out of sight. I let out a relieved breath that he had gone but Godric was still very tense.  
“Godric, who was that?” I asked, placing my hand on his shoulder.  
Godric turned to face me, a frown etched into his face. “I will explain on the way. We must collect your sister and get back to the nest. There is much Eric and I will need to discuss.”  
I nodded, my stomach sinking with dread. Clearly, there was something much worse that Godric was anticipating than a creepy vampire threatening me.  
I slid into the passenger seat and a moment later we were speeding out of the parking lot towards my apartment.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Thanks for waiting for this chapter! I know it's been a while! We're finally getting into what I think everyone has been waiting for, so that's exciting! Please let me know what you think! I love to hear your thoughts, any suggestions you have for me, and even what you're hoping for in the coming chapters! Hearing from you all gives me a big boost of motivation to keep writing!  
> A big thanks to Cornmuffinmama, for editing this chapter. You can attribute the vast improvements to my writing to her!

I rushed up the steps of the apartment building and burst through the door, Godric right behind me. Evan peeked her head out of her room, already changed into pajama pants and a baggy sweater. Her eyes took in the anxious expression on my face and the protective way Godric hovered behind me and frowned, her eyebrows coming together.   
“What? What’s wrong?” She demanded.   
Godric spoke before I had a chance to, his voice urgent. “You both need to pack a bag with your essentials and clothes enough to last you several days. It is not safe here.”  
Evan’s eyes widened. “What? Why? What happened? Where are we going?” she demanded.   
“I believe a vampire will be targeting your sister and you. You will both be safer at the nest. No one knows where it is and none of your friends will be able to direct them there,” Godric explained, impatient.   
“What if they follow your car?” I asked, fishing a duffle bag out of the hall closet.  
Godric paused as if he hadn’t considered that. “I will call Eric while you both pack and have him meet us here.”   
I didn’t see how having another vehicle to follow would help but I decided to let him handle it. “Come on, Ev. We can figure everything out when we get to Godric’s,” I urged.   
Evan nodded sharply and retreated into her room. I could hear her searching through her closet so I moved to my room and did the same. I tried to pack all the basics since I didn’t know when they would bring us back to the apartment, but my duffle was quickly filling up. When I had packed all the clothes I could manage, I rushed into the bathroom to fill a bag with our toiletries.   
Evan and I met Godric in the entranceway where I had left him. He was just hanging up his phone when we plopped our bags down. Godric shouldered them easily, as if they weighed nothing.   
“Eric and Pam will be here shortly. Eric and I will take you both to the nest while Pam takes the car to throw off any potential followers,” Godric informed us, holding the front door open. “You have everything you will need for several days?” he checked as we filed out.   
Evan hesitated by the door. “What about work? I have a job I have to go to tomorrow.”  
“I will have Pamela contact your employer and glamour them into thinking they gave you a paid vacation. You will not have to worry about it until it is safe to return,” Godric reasoned, tapping at his phone for a moment, presumably to inform Pam of his plan.   
Evan frowned. She hated lying and I could tell she didn’t like the idea of glamouring her boss but we didn’t have much choice. If Godric thought it was serious enough to make us evacuate our apartment then the situation must be much more serious than one vampire that didn’t like Godric.   
I linked my arms with Evan as we walked down the hall and felt her lean against me. What had I gotten her into?  
Eric and Pam were standing outside the doors, backs to each other and posture stiff. They looked like very scary body guards, though they lacked the sunglasses and earpieces. When they saw us Pam held out her hand for the keys and Godric silently dropped them into her palm. She turned on her heel and slid into the vehicle, taking off a moment later.   
“How are we supposed to get to the house?” Evan asked, looking around for Eric’s car.   
Eric took one of the bags from Godric then opened his arms to Evan, a teasing smirk on his face. “We fly,” he hummed.   
I turned to Godric, confused. What was Eric talking about? “We have the gift of flight, little one. Eric will carry your sister and I can take you, if that is acceptable?” Godric checked, head tilted to the side.   
I looked at Eric with narrowed eyes, remembering how roughly he had carried me when we had been going to save Godric. It seemed like such a long time ago. Evan didn’t deserve such rough treatment. “You better be gentle with her, Eric Northman. Like being carried by a cloud do you understand me?” I demanded.   
Eric seemed more amused than anything and swept a deep bow. “Of course, I wouldn’t dare mistreat your sister.”  
Evan seemed as impressed by his display as I was but allowed him to collect her in his arms. He shot into the sky a moment later and I gaped at their quickly disappearing forms. Godric stepped closer to me, drawing my attention back to him.   
“Are you ready?” He asked, holding his hand out to me.   
I braced myself and took his hand. Godric gathered me up into his arms and the next thing I knew, my feet weren’t touching the ground. I suppressed a scream and buried my face in the side of his neck, clutching at his shoulders for dear life.   
When we arrived, he eased me down on the front lawn of the house, letting me regain my footing before he let me go. I didn’t see any sign of Eric and Evan and assumed they had gone inside as soon as they had landed. I followed Godric into the safety of the house. We met in the living room, Evan was curled up in the corner of the couch chewing on her lip. I moved to her side and drew her into my arms. Settled, I turned to the vampires. “Explain what’s going on,” I demanded.   
“Eric and I ran into Nathaniel several hundred years ago. I was not as I am now, Eric had been fairly newly turned and we both were… feral, you could say. Nathaniel was part of a large nest in an area we were passing through,” Godric began. “Nathaniel had a human companion, as did many of the vampires in the nest. It was fairly common at the time for vampires to have a group of humans that they fed on and glamoured. But Nathaniel was different. He was in love with his human, a woman named Bethany. We had a disagreement, a petty argument really. But I was not used to another vampire denying me. Even then I had garnered something of a reputation and at over a millennia old I was easily the eldest vampire involved. I was a petty child,” Godric explained, his face pained and his whole body on edge.   
“We attacked, made Nathaniel watch as we torn his human apart piece by piece. Then we killed most of their nest. It was like a warning, don’t mess with us or we will destroy you. Suffice to say, we offended many vampires in doing so and have done nothing since to make it better and everything to make it worse. Nathaniel still holds a grudge against Godric for killing his human and several of his surviving nest mates lost progeny and makers during our attack.” Eric finished the story briskly, eyes hard and a scowl on his face.   
His expression made it clear he expected us not to ask for any more details and seeing the look on Godric’s face, I thought the little details weren’t important enough.   
“It is possible that he will try to hurt you or your sister, little one, in order to get vengeance for his human. It is also possible he will or already has connected with his old nest mates and they may attack” Godric sighed, sitting heavily on the edge of the couch “I would rather you both not be involved. It is an old feud I had forgotten about. But I dare not leave you unprotected until it can be resolved or they move on.”   
Evan nodded slowly. “I could use a couple days off work anyway.”   
I shot her a grateful look. Evan was probably freaking out on the inside but I appreciated her willingness to go along with it. We really were safest where we were. Our apartment had already proven to be an easy target for kidnappers, after all, and I wouldn’t have been able to stay with Godric knowing Evan was at the apartment all by herself.   
We sat in tense silence for several minutes before Pam burst through the door. “If they were following me, I’ve lost them. Took a couple back roads though so your car could probably use a couple of touch ups,” Pam admitted with a grin.   
I winced, imagining just how bad it must be. The sleek sports car Godric drove certainly wasn’t designed for back roads. It was probably a mess and those cars weren’t cheap to fix. Godric didn’t seemed concerned though, only nodding faintly in Pam’s direction.   
“So where are we going to sleep?” Evan asked after a while, stifling a yawn.   
I jutted my chin towards the stairs. “There’s a spare bedroom upstairs, we can sleep there” I told her.   
Pam cleared her throat, a sly grin on her face. “That’s a single bed, sweet cheeks. You two are little, but you aren’t that little.”  
My gaze slipped to Godric, wondering what we were supposed to do. Pam was right, Evan and I had never had a problem sharing a bed but there was no way we could both sleep in a single.   
“If you would like you can sleep in my room. I believe I would feel better having you close, at any rate,” Godric admitted.   
I flushed beet red. Godric wanted me to sleep with him? We had only just kissed and suddenly he thought I would be ok sharing his bed? Did he expect us to sleep together or was he just offering me a place to sleep? My heart rate picked up as my anxiety flared. I didn’t know what to say or how to react. Godric must have picked up on it because he placed his hand gently over mine. “I do not mean anything of it, little one. I will be perfectly gentleman-like. It is a large bed and I will be dead for the day,” Godric assured me.   
I nodded, feeling better about the situation. Godric just wanted to protect me after all and if I was being honest with myself, I would probably feel better with him close to me anyway.   
Evan and I made our way upstairs so I could show her to her bedroom. She wasn’t used to being up late like I was and I could tell she was already tired. Together, we unloaded her bag and I curled up on the bed with her, stroking my hand through her hair.   
“I’m sorry, Ev. You shouldn’t be getting dragged into this,” I apologized.   
Evan shook her head. “Neither should you. This is their unfinished business, not yours,” she reminded me.   
I shrugged. “But I chose to get involved with them. You didn’t.”  
“Whatever you’re involved with, I want to be a part of with you, Aly. Besides, it doesn’t get much safer than being in a house with three very old vampires who want to protect you,” Evan reassured me.   
I hummed. “I guess so. Though the three vampires are also the reason we need to be protected.”  
Evan shook her head. “You’re part demon, Aly. Someone was bound to come after you eventually. It’s good that we have them to look out for you.”  
She was right, I supposed. Even if I spent my whole life not knowing what I was, someone might recognize it eventually and without Godric keeping me safe, who knows what could happen.   
Evan drifted off to sleep eventually and I went to find the vampires. They were sitting around the table, talking in low voices. They paused when I came into the room.   
“What’s the plan? Evan and I can’t stay here forever,” I reasoned.   
Eric shrugged. “Why not?”  
I opened my mouth to tell him, and stopped. Could we? If they gave us the option to live with them, would it be the best choice? The house was much nicer than our apartment, and we would be safer living under the same roof as them. But I didn’t know if Evan would want that. Did I want that? Godric and I had a tentative relationship started. Wasn’t it a bit soon for me to be living with him? Sure, we weren’t exactly operating under normal circumstances, but still.   
“We have an apartment, Eric. And who’s to say Evan really wants to spend that much time with you anyway? She hardly knows you three and she’s never said she wanted to become that involved with vampires,” I explained.   
Pam snorted. “She doesn’t have much choice now, does she?”  
I decided I didn’t need to answer that and looked to Godric. “So what do we do?”  
We spent what was left of the night going over our options. I was firmly told that I wasn’t to be involved in any of their plans. It was too risky to have me exposed. I fought them on it as much as I could. Sure, I wasn’t immortal but I wasn’t useless either. I could set a trap for them, or at least defend myself a little. But they shot me down.   
“I don’t need to be worried about you getting hurt any more than I already am,” Godric huffed, his mouth set into a grim line.   
I let it go eventually, if only for the time being, and let them plot.   
Godric led me up to his room an hour or so before sunrise. He cleared out a drawer for some of my clothes and made room in his closet for the rest of them.   
“Would you mind if I took a quick shower?” I asked shyly.   
Godric waved his hand towards the bathroom. “Of course, little one. You needn’t ask my permission.”

I came out of the bathroom in pajama shorts and an oversized t-shirt. I rubbed a towel through my hair to help it dry. Godric looked up from the book he was reading and placed it beside him on his bed.   
“You look wonderful,” he hummed, a gentle smile on his face.   
I wrinkled my nose and looked down at myself. “I’m wearing pajamas,” I reminded him, confused.   
Godric nodded. “I like it. You are beautiful when you are at ease. Though, of course, you are beautiful no matter what you are wearing.”  
I blushed and dropped my eyes, my insides feeling warm and happy at his words. When I peeked up at him, he patted the space on the bed next to him. “Do you need anything before you sleep?” he checked when I approached the bed.   
I shook my head and climbed into bed, fidgeting with the edge of my shirt. I wasn’t sure what to do in that situation. Since I wasn’t going to have sex with him, and I didn’t know if Godric was one to cuddle, I was shy about touching him.   
Godric seemed to sense it because he gently picked up my hand drew it into his lap. I shifted closer to him and watched as he examined my hand silently. After a moment he drew it up to his face and brushed his lips over my knuckles.   
His fingers stroked up and down my forearm, tracing invisible patterns across my skin. It felt pleasant, Godric was quite a bit cooler than I was and the feeling relaxed me. I soon found myself melting into the pillows piled behind. Slowly, I drew closer to Godric and ended with my side pressed against his and my head resting on his shoulder. Godric pressed his lips against the top of my hair and I could feel him inhale against me. I peeked up at him. Godric looked down at me with a tender expression and pressed his lips softly against mine.   
I hummed into the kiss and pressed more firmly against him. I turned slightly so I was facing him rather than twisting my neck around and Godric slipped his arm around my back to hold me against him. His other hand settled against my hip, his fingers brushing aside the fabric of my shirt to caress my bare skin. I shivered when his fingers brushed against the sensitive skin of my stomach and felt Godric smile against my lips. My arms wound around his neck and I pressed myself against him.   
Godric’s legs slotted between mine and he rolled up so I was laying on my back and he hovered over me. I ran my hand down his chest and slipped under the smooth fabric of his shirt. He was still dressed in the button up shirt and dress pants from earlier, though he had discarded the tie and untucked his shirt. Godric rumbled above me as I scraped my fingers down his chest. His tongue urged my lips apart and I opened my mouth to his. Our tongues tangled and I pulled him against me.   
He supported his weight on one arm, braced against the mattress by my head, and his other hand pushed my shirt up to explore my stomach and stroke along my ribs. I mewled and arched up as his fingers danced along the bottom of my breast. Godric growled at my reaction and nipped at my bottom lip. He kissed along my jaw and down the side of my neck to nuzzle at my throat. I tilted my head to give him more access and dragged my hand through his hair.   
He pressed his hips against me and I gasped at the feeling of his erection pressing between my legs. My fingers grasped the small hairs at the base of his head and pulled his lips back to mine, squirming against him.   
He pulled back abruptly sometime later, pressing his forehead against mine. His hands gripped at the sheets beside me and his eyes were squeezed tight. At some point I had locked my legs around his hips and was panting, trying to catch my breath.   
“I apologize, I seem to have gotten carried away” Godric rumbled after a moment.   
I was still getting my thoughts back in order, so I just shook my head and took another deep breath. “You don’t have to be sorry.”  
I let my legs fall to the side, not sure if I was glad he had stopped us, or disappointed. He slipped off of me to lay at my side and drew me against his chest. His hand ran from my hip up to my shoulder, not helping my ability to think.   
“I should let you sleep, Alyssa. It has been a long day and dawn is coming,” Godric mumbled into my hair.   
I sighed, he was probably right. “Ok... Are you sleeping in those pants?” I asked, eyebrows coming together.   
Godric seemed to have forgotten he was still fully clothed. “If you are comfortable with it, I will sleep in my underwear,” he implored.   
I was more than comfortable with the thought of Godric wearing only his underwear and quickly agreed. Godric stood from the bed and shed his clothes. Clad in only a pair of boxer-briefs that made my mouth water, he walked across the room to turn the lights off. My eyes were glued to him the entire time, taking in every little detail of his body. To say I was a little excited after what had happened and the visual of a mostly naked Godric was an understatement.   
When he crawled back into bed, he snuggled against me and purred happily, a sound I had never heard him make. “Gods, you smell even better than usual,” he spoke into the side of my neck and rubbed against me.   
I stroked my hand up his arm, feeling out for him since my eyes hadn’t adjusted to the dark. I traced along the lines of his muscles, then threaded my fingers through his hair. The purring noise he was making continued and his fingers ghosted along my side, eliciting shivers and causing goosebumps to break out all over my body.   
The metal blinds came down shortly after with a ‘whoosh’. I snuggled more comfortably against Godric and we drifted to sleep.   
I woke up in the late afternoon with my limbs tangled up in Godric’s. I considered going back to sleep but my stomach urged me out of bed. With a sigh, I extricated myself from Godric’s arms and padded out into the hall.   
I found Evan in the living room, a slice of pizza in her lap and a show on the television. She raised her eyebrow at me when I came into the room, eyes taking in my ruffled pajamas.   
“Have a good night?” she teased.   
I scowled at her. “Not in the way you’re thinking. Where did you get pizza?” I changed the subject, jutting my chin towards her plate.   
Evan shrugged. “They have a bunch in the freezer. Like, eighty different kinds. I think there’s still a couple slices left.”   
I turned and walked into the kitchen. Evan had a huge appetite for such a little frame and there were only two slices left of the large pizza she had cooked. I rolled my eyes and put them on a plate, grabbing a glass of water before I returned to the living room.   
“You pig, you practically ate a whole pizza,” I huffed playfully, sitting beside her.   
Evan stuck her tongue out at me. “You snooze you lose. Now shhh, this is important.”  
I tried to catch up on what was happening in the show without asking too many questions but I had never seen it before and it looked like it was a season ender.  
Shortly before sundown, I left Evan sitting on the couch and went back up to Godric’s bedroom. He would be getting up soon and I planned to be there when he woke.   
I had just gotten myself back into his arms- which was harder than I had anticipated since Godric was for all rights dead- when he woke up.


	16. This is now a CHAPTER

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I'm finally back! I hope you all enjoy this chapter and I really look forward to being able to post this again. It's a bit of a process at the moment as I still don't have a functioning laptop of my own. So I am writing them out by hand and typing them up in google documents where ever I can get access to a computer for long enough to work on it. So I can't promise swift or consistent updates, but there will be updates! Please let me know what you think of this chapter!

Godric woke up slowly, I felt him shift slightly and his arms tightened around my waist. "Good evening, Godric" I hummed into his shoulder.

Godric rumbled in response, pulling me as close as he could. "Have you been awake long?" he questioned, running his nose lightly along my shoulder.

I shrugged, it had been a couple of hours "I watched some television with Evan while I waited for you to wake up."

Godric nodded against my skin and replaced his nose with his lips. He nipped gently at the skin, moving up my neck and across my jaw. I pulled him up to kiss him and sighed at the feeling of his lips on mine. His hands trailed up and down my back, finding their way under my shirt. I arched my back and wound my leg around his hips. His arousal pressed against me and Godric groaned. I rolled us so I hovered over him, legs on either side of his hips, hovering just above him. My hair fell like a curtain around us and I impatiently flipped it over my shoulders. Godric drew me down to mouth at my neck, his hands caressing my sides. I dragged my hands down the exposed skin of his chest and across his stomach, feeling his muscles twitch under my fingertips. I ground against his hips and Godric growled, bucking up against me. I felt his fangs scrape across the sensitive skin of my neck and felt myself tilting my head to expose more to him. Godric had never bit me before and although I had been surrounded by vampires since working at Fangtasia, the only experience I had had with being bitten had been from the vampire that had attacked me in the alley. Just thinking about the incident made me anxious.

Godric moved to kiss me again and I curiously let my tongue brush against his lips. I had caught glimpses of his fangs before and they had a hypnotizing effect on me. He opened his mouth to me and I ran my tongue down his fangs.

Godric darted back, staring at me with wide eyes clouded with lust. The hungry look he was giving me sent a shiver down my spine and I whimpered softly.

"You shouldn't do that Alyssa" Godric warned, his voice thick and gravelly.

My eyebrows came together in confusion and I bit my lip hesitantly. Godric's eyes dropped to my mouth and he subconsciously licked his own. "What did I do wrong?" I questioned.

Godric shook his head slowly "a vampire's fangs are very sensitive. I am trying very hard not to lose control but if you keep doing that, I fear it will be all but impossible," he groaned.

The temptation to immediately do exactly that was hard to resist. Instead I nodded solemnly to show I understood and dipped my head down to press kisses along his jaw. I worked my way down to his neck and bit at the skin under his jaw. Godric let out a low growl and tangled his hand into my hair. I thought for a moment that I had done something wrong but he didn't pull away or stop me. So I alternated between kissing and biting at his neck and Godric ground his hips into mine slowly.

I suddenly found myself pressed into the mattress, Godric poised between my legs urging my shirt over my head. Godric swore under his breath at the sight of my bare breasts and his hands cupped them gently. The pads of his thumbs ran over my nipples and I arched into his touch. Godric bent down and replaced one hand with his mouth. I gasped and threaded my hand through his hair in an attempt to stop him from moving away. His tongue swirled around my nipple and his teeth grazed over them. I bit back a moan as his thumb mimicked his movements on my other breast.

After a moment his mouth left my breasts and he kissed his way across my ribs and stomach. He pressed a kiss into stomach and nipped at my hip bone.

A knock at the door shook me out of a lust filled daze and I huffed disappointedly. Godric growled unhappily and dropped his head to nuzzle into my stomach.

"Go away Eric" Godric ordered roughly.

There was a moment of hesitation from the viking on the other side of the door. "Godric, we need to prepare in case they come tonight."

Godric wound his arms underneath me and shook his head stubbornly. I couldn't help the chuckle that escaped at the sight of him. I ran my hands gently through his hair and sighed. After a moment Godric spoke "very well, I will be down in a moment."

He looked up at me and narrowed his eyes "I am not finished with you," he warned me.

A smile worked it's way onto my face and I nodded "I'm not going anywhere," I promised him. Godric gave me a final, lingering kiss before he pulled himself out of bed. He dressed quickly in his usual loose shirt and pants before walking out of the room.

I blew a breath out in a huff and pushed my hands through my hair. Eric just had to interrupt us. I rolled out of bed with a groan, there was no way I was going to let those two plot without my help. I threw my hair into a messy bun and fished a pair of jeans and a light green button up shirt out of my bag.

As I got dressed I tried to think over what had happened, what could have happened with Godric. If we hadn't been interrupted then there was a very good chance I would have had sex with him. But I wasn't sure where we stood. Casual sex was not a foreign concept to me, especially since I often didn't have time to have a steady relationship with anyone. But I knew that wasn't what I wanted with Godric. I cared for him too much to just sleep with him from time to time without knowing if he was sleeping with other women or not. Was that what Godric wanted? Just to bed me and then move on with his life? Vampires weren't exactly known for their monogamy. I wondered if Godric was even willing to be in an exclusive relationship with me. Was that even something vampires did? And if he was, what about feeding? I supposed he could just drink bagged and synthetic blood, I had never seen him take anyone at Fangtasia out to feed. But if we were having sex, would he want to feed from me as well? I hadn't decided how I felt about that yet.

I knew immediately that I did not like the idea of him finding some fangbanger to feed off of, especially since blood and sex often mixed together for vampires. A wave of possessiveness and jealousy shot through me and I scowled down at my feet.

Maybe, I thought, I needed to talk to Godric about it. But first things first. We needed to settle this business with the vampires.

I found the three vampires around the dining room table and was surprised to see Sookie sitting beside Eric. She smiled at me in greeting when she saw me.

I realized I hadn't even considered that Sookie could be in danger as well and felt instantly bad. If I hadn't been so concerned with Evan and I being safe, I might have thought of the blond.

"Hello Sookie" I hummed, sitting in an empty seat beside Godric.

"Wonderful. Why don't you get Evan too, so we can get her opinion?" Pam drawled sarcastically.

I was tempted to do just that, if only just to irritate her further. But I knew Evan wanted as little involvement as she could. As much as my sister appreciated the time off of work, and everything the vampires were doing to keep us safe, she had no interest in becoming deeper entangled in their world.

So I shrugged Pam off and concentrated on the other two vampires at the table. "So what's the plan then?"

Eric rolled his eyes, "I will consult the vampires in my area to find out where he and his nest are spending their days. When we find their nest, we can finish this once and for all."

"what if they've got friends in this area that are willing to lie to you and draw you into a trap?" I questioned.

"Or draw the three of you out so they can get to us" Sookie added.

Godric shook his head "I will be putting word out as well. Everything Eric is told will be checked before we make any moves."

They seemed to think that was the end of the discussion as the three vampires began listing off all their contacts that they could call in, debating whether Godric should call some vampires down from Dallas to help or not. I made eye contact with Sookie and tried to communicate how fed up I was with them. Sookie seemed to understand as she widened her eyes at me and puffed out her cheeks in exasperation.

"I have an idea" I stated, cutting Pam off mid-sentence.

"Oh please, do share," Eric grunted.

I narrowed my eyes at him agitatedly "why don't Sookie and I go out during the day and see if we can find them. They've got to be feeding on someone right? So we could hang out in places that are popular with that crowd or if you get an area they might be in, we could go around there and see if Sookie can hear anyone's thoughts. That way you would know for sure where they were and they wouldn't know you were coming."

They hardly even hesitated before shooting my idea down. "It would be too dangerous" Godric argued.

Eric nodded, a scowl on his face, "There's no way we're letting the two of you out unprotected, let alone in the area we think their nest would be."

"I can protect us, at least from any human that might be there. And it would be the middle of the day so they wouldn't be able to get to us" I argued.

"She's right, we have the element of surprise. They don't know what Alyssa and I can do. They wouldn't be prepared for it," Sookie added.

I sent her a thankful smile, glad she agreed with me. I hadn't thought Sookie would be the type to want to just sit back and let someone else handle a problem.

But the vampires still wouldn't go for it. "It's too risky. They know we are looking for them, they will have their nest guarded and if they see you two wandering by...it'd be too easy," Eric huffed

I scowled at the viking, "I can handle a couple of people Eric. We'd be ok."

"I could call Alcide, if that would make you feel better" Sookie offered, and judging by the expression on her face, she didn't think Eric would agree.

Eric curled his lip at her "I do not need a Were to protect you."

"Who's Alcide?" I questioned, raising my eyebrow at Sookie.

Sookie rolled her eyes at the blond beside her, "he's a werewolf that helped us a little while ago. He protected me then for you, he could do it now. I'm sure he would."

Eric glared at her "he only agreed then because he owed me a debt."

"Don't you guys want this to be over with as soon as possible? The way I see it you can sit here making calls hoping you'll find them, meanwhile they'll know if you're getting close. They could keep moving or draw you into a trap. Or you can get this Alcide guy to keep an eye on us while we find them and possibly know where they are in a night or two" I insisted.

Godric gave me a considering look "if we deny this, will you attempt to do this anyway?"

My eyes widened in surprise. I hadn't gotten to the point of considering it yet, but when I thought about it, I knew instantly that I would do just that. As soon as they were dead for the day, I would have woken Sookie up and we would have been gone before noon.

I considered lying to him, worried that if I told him the truth he would try to lock us into the house in the interest of keeping us safe. But I didn't think Godric would try to do that to us. Besides, I was fairly confident I would be able to escape if that was the case.

So I decided to be honest "yes, the minute the sun came up."

Eric slammed his fist on the table "you're going to get yourself killed. And if not, you'll get us killed trying to save you."

Godric raised a hand to him in a calming gesture. "Call this werewolf. I do not like the idea of asking their kind for assistance any more than you, Eric. But it is the best way to ensure their safety if they are determined to do this." Godric turned his gaze on me, "one day, that is all you have. If it doesn't work, you will let us handle this without further complaint. If you do find them, you will not make contact. You will return to this nest immediately. Do you understand?" Godric clarified.

I glanced at Sookie before answering. She would be doing the brunt of the work, being the telepath. So I couldn't force her into it. I did have a pretty good idea where to look for the people they were probably feeding on though, I had picked up lots of information from working at Fangtasia.

She gave me a smile and nodded "That sounds fair to me."

"One day is all we need" I assured him.

Eric threw his hands up in frustration and pushed himself away from the table. He stormed out of the room, muttering under his breath in another language. I hoped he planned on calling Alcide while he was out there, I wanted to have everything settled as soon as possible.

"Thank you, Godric, for giving us a chance" I thanked him, placing my hand on his.

Godric regarded me softly for a moment before answering "I don't think I had much of a choice. But all the same, I hope this plan works as well as you think it will."

The vampires lack of faith in Sookie and I was disheartening. But I forced myself to push it aside. I had faith in us and that was what mattered.

Eric came back into the room several tense minutes later, a cross look on his face. "Alcide will meet you both at Fangtasia tomorrow at noon. You will take my car there, then you will join Alcide in his. You will not tell him where this nest is, nor any details of what you are looking for. He is to accompany you where ever you deem necessary. I have also instructed him to make sure you are brought back to your car three hours before sundown and if you are not here two and a half hours before sundown, I will hunt him down and hold him personally accountable. So unless you want to see him in several more conveniently sized chunks, you will make sure you are here on time. Understood?" Eric snapped, glaring at the two of us.

Sookie scowled back, angered by his irritation. I didn't know how she managed to be utterly un-intimidated by him. Even if he was just a human, he towered over us and the menacing look on his face only added to the image. I on the other hand, shrunk back in my seat slightly. I wasn't afraid of Eric per say and even if I was, I knew Godric wouldn't let him hurt me. But it was like an instinct to be wary of him when he seemed so angered.

I shook him off and reminded myself of what he was saying. The plan was set. We would be able to do what we could to help. I just hoped we were as successful as I was trying to make the others believe we would be.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I know it's been a long time since i updated and I am very sorry that I've been so irregular. Thank you to anyone who is still reading and is putting up with this. As always I look forward to hearing what you think! Please enjoy!

Sookie and I arrived at Fangtasia at quarter to twelve and waited anxiously for Alcide to show up. The vampires had spent most of the previous night making calls to try and narrow the area we would have to search. We had a list of neighbourhoods to tour. New vampires to the area had been spotted in all of them. They ranged from upscale neighbourhoods filled with manicured lawns and expensive houses to run down neighbourhoods full of abandoned warehouses and the homeless.

A large black pickup truck pulled into the otherwise empty parking lot and stopped next to our car. The man that I assumed was Alcide stepped out and my eyes widened. He was a mountain of a man, with tanned skin and a lumberjack-esque appearance. He ran a hand through his thick black hair and sighed as he approach our car.

Sookie and I stepped out of our car to meet him. A lopsided grin spread across his face at the sight of Sookie and he raised a hand in greeting.

Sookie smiled back "Hi there, Alcide. This is Alyssa," Sookie introduced us motioning to me.

Alcide turned bright eyes on me and offered me his hand. I placed mine in his, noting how in comparison to his my hands looked like a child's.

"Eric mentioned you last night. It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Alcide," I nodded "shall we get going?"

We were on the road a moment later, Sookie squeezed in between Alcide and I.  
Sookie directed Alcide to the first neighbourhood on our list. It was an old industrial area and Alcide's shiny truck looked out of place in the abandoned factory parking lot where we left it. I wondered what the chances were that someone would break into his truck in the middle of the afternoon. I didn't envy the person who tried. As a werewolf, I suspected Alcide would be able to pick up the scent of whoever did and I didn't doubt he would track them down. Supernaturals seemed to have a tendency to take the law into their own hands and punish as they saw fit.

We walked up and down the streets mostly in silence. Sookie was concentrating on the thoughts around her, though I wondered how many minds she could really pick up in an area like that. Surely there weren't that many people squatting in the empty buildings around us. Alcide's nostrils flared and he motioned for us to come to a stop. He motioned to a building on the corner of a street. It looked like it might have been an office of some sort at one point. There was a sign in the parking lot but the letters were too faded to read.

"Vampires in there," he explained.

Sookie paused for a moment then shook her head "no humans inside, there's no way to tell if it's them or not."

I pursed my lips. "We could go check it out. There's no way they're awake. We could sneak in, see if it's them, and be out without them even knowing."

Alcide shook his head and held up his hand "Not a chance. Eric said you weren't supposed to go anywhere near them. If they are the vampires you're looking for, they'll be able to smell you when they rise."

Sookie shrugged "It wouldn't matter by then, if it is them, we'll have told the boys before sundown. It'll be too late for them to do anything."

Alcide huffed, "no Sookie. It's too dangerous. Just write down the address. If we dont find them your way, let the vampires handle it."

I rolled my eyes. What was the point in us investigating if Alcide wasn't going to let us get within 100 feet of the nest?

When Alcide wouldn't budge on letting us get any closer Sookie and I gave in and agreed to check out the other areas on our list. Sookie marked down the exact building and how many vampires she could sense inside and we moved on.

The next neighbourhood was a residential area in which you would expect a family to raise a child. It was complete with a park and an elementary school.

We walked for much longer in this neighbourhood than the last, winding through the streets as Sookie listened for any signs of the nest. I felt useless, there was nothing I could do to contribute to the search. Alcide at least could smell the vampires or any potential threats. I was just there for the ride. It bothered me that there wasn't anything more useful that I could do.

It was over an hour before Sookie picked up on something related to the vampires that were supposed to be in the area. She called us to a stop outside of a brick house that seemed entirely unassuming. It had a small front porch with a wicker rocking chair. The curtains were drawn tightly closed and several of the rooms looked like they had black out curtains. Alcide took a deep breath and nodded.

"There's two people inside...a man and a woman. They own the house but they've been glamoured," Sookie paused, her head tilted to the side as she listened. "There's two vampires in there. Neither of them have a clear image in their minds of what the vampires look like though."

"Eric expected there would be more than two, that they would be gathering their nest to attack them," I reminded her.

"Maybe this isn't the nest you're looking for. We should move on," Alcide glanced up and down the street tensely.

"But what about those poor people. They're being forced to let these vampires stay in their house. We have to do something to help them," Sookie exclaimed.

I shook my head at her "There's nothing we can do today for them. Tell Eric when we get back. He's the sheriff, maybe there's something he can do," I suggested.

As much as I agreed with Sookie, there were much worse things the vampires in that house could have done. The humans were alive and going about their day rather than being buried in the woods somewhere or tied up in their basements.

Sookie looked like she wasn't going to leave for a moment before she finally heaved a sigh and nodded. We made our way back to Alcide's truck and on to the next area.

This was the nicest area, a gated community, we had to lie to the guards in order to get in. Beyond the gate, it was row after row of mini mansions. Shiny new sports cars were parked in every driveway. Alcide parked the truck along the road just out of sight of the gate and we started the trek through the streets.

Nearly a half hour had passed with nothing when suddenly Alcide tensed up and grabbed Sookie and I. "Weres" he hissed, pulling us both behind him.

Sookies eyes widened and her head snapped to the right. Several houses up, at the end of the street we were on, two men sat on a lawn. They must have caught scent of us because their heads whipped in our direction and both men stood up.

I looked up to see what Alcide wanted to do and was surprised to see his eyes flashing an unnatural yellow. His lips curled at the men in front of us and he slunk into a defensive posture.

"There are vampires in that house. Why would weres be guarding a vampire nest?" Sookie questioned, eyes narrowed at the men on the lawn.

Alcide's brows came together "I don't know."

the weres had begun to approach us, sauntering down the sidewalk.

"We don't want any trouble," Alcide called when they were within shouting distance.

The men snorted as if they didn't believe him "Sure you don't. You just go ahead and turn around then and there wont be any trouble," one of them instructed.

"Come on, let's just get out of here" I suggested, reaching forward to grab Alcide's arm.

"Oh no, little doll" the other were shook his head, even though I had barely spoken loud enough for him to hear me. "You and the blond can stay with us. Boss'll be real happy if we bring the two of you in."

"How do you know who we are?" Sookie demanded.

The weres laughed. They were slowly closing the distance between us, inching forward. They eyed Alcide cautiously, watching for any signs that he was going to make the first move. "Boss told us to keep an eye out for two pretty little humans that smelled like you two."

"Didn't think we'd find both of you waltzing right up to his doorstep though."

A low growl built up in Alcides chest "They're coming with me. You two can fuck off."

"What are you going to do to stop us? You're out numbered buddy" they taunted.

I squeezed Alcide's arm "I can help," I mumbled, hoping it was too low for the other two to hear.

Alcide glanced back at me, confused, before turning his attention back to the approaching men.

"Get back to the truck and go. I'll keep them busy as long as I can" Alcide instructed.

I opened my mouth to protest but before I could, Alcide had leapt forward. The two weres reacted instantly and jumped forward to meet him. Alcide landed a solid blow to one mans jaw, sending him staggering back.

"Sookie, run" I urged, pushing her in the direction of the truck.

Sookie looked at me, eyes wide and panicked "we can't just leave him."

I shook my head "I'll stay and help. Go get the truck and come get us" I instructed, watching Alcide try to keep both men focused on him rather than coming back to us.

Sookie hesitated another moment but she must have known she wasn't going to be able to help fight against a werewolf as she took off down the street.

One of the weres had Alcide around the neck and was landing blows to his stomach. "Get the girls" he shouted to the other.

He turned and started towards me, a creepy grin stretched across his face. "Come on, doll, lets get you inside."

"You don't know what you're messing with. You're both going to die" I threatened him, walking backwards to keep distance between us.

I wasn't strong enough to hold a person back let alone a werewolf. But if I could find something to hit him with I would be able to fight him off. I glanced around anxiously, looking for something, anything that could be a weapon.

The werewolf laughed at me, "you think so, do you? Tell me, doll, what am I messing with? All I see is a scared little girl."

my eyes finally landed on a small pile of gardening supplies. From the pile rose a shovel. It flew through the air behind him and I sent it as quickly as I could into the back of his head. He stumbled forward and spun around to face his attacker. I slammed the shovel into his face and heard his nose break.

"What the fuck?" He cursed turning again to face me. He was clutching at his nose, blood running down his chin. "How the fuck did you do that? You little bitch," he snarled.

The man's eyes flashed the same haunting yellow as Alcide's had before. But it was followed by the sound of snapping and popping as he turned into a wolf. It snarled at me, flashing long sharp white teeth and lept. Panicked, I reacted without thinking, and sent a trowel straight into the side of his neck. The wolf made a terrible howling sound and staggered to the side. Blood matted in its fur and it collapsed into someone's lawn.

I gasped, hands flying up to cover my mouth. I hadn't meant to kill him, it hadn't even been a conscious decision to attack him with the trowel. He slowly transformed into a man again, naked now, the trowel still stuck in the side of his neck.

I slowly forced myself to look away and back towards Alcide. The tides had turned and Alcide had the man on his back on the ground, delivering punch after punch to the man's face. His features were no longer distinguishable and i wondered whether Alcide would kill him just as I had killed the one who had come after me.

I had said they were both going to die but I hadn't thought it would be right then. I had imagined Godric and Eric hunting them down after we had returned.

The sound of an engine caught my attention and I spun around to identify where it was coming from, mind racing as I tried to think of how I would explain this to some random passerby. It was unnecessary though, as it was Sookie driving towards us. The truck stopped beside me and Sookie motioned urgently for me to jump in. I didn't waste any time sliding into the cab. Alcide looked up and stood when he realized we were waiting for him. He landed a final kick to the mans ribs before stalking towards us. His eyes landed on the dead body laying in the grass and he blinked at it for a moment as he processed what he was seeing.

As if it was an every day occurrence, Alcide picked up the body easily and threw it into the back of his truck, covering it up with a tarp before motioning for Sookie to move from the drivers seat.

He climbed into the truck without a word and drove out of the gated community. It wasn't until we were well out of the area that he spoke. "Northman is going to kill me" he grumbled.

"We don't have to tell him," I suggested with a hopeful smile.

It wasn't just Alcide that would be getting it when we got back. The only way we had managed to convince Eric and Godric to do this was because we promised we wouldn't get in any trouble. They would be furious that we had been attacked by werewolves. And since it was my idea, I knew Eric would blame me over Sookie. It didn't help that I knew Godric would be mad as well. It was the last thing I wanted. And although I was a somewhat shocked that I had killed someone, I couldn't help but be excited that we had found their nest.

Alcide shook his head "better we tell them than Northman finding out I tried to keep it from them. They'll be coming for you now anyway."

We stopped to pick up the car and Alcide followed us back to the nest. There had been a brief debate about whether it would be alright for Alcide to know where the nest was. But it seemed the better option considering the vampires would no doubt want a word with him. It didn't seem fair that Alcide get the brunt of their anger when all he had done was protect us. It had been my idea in the first place and Sookie had thought to bring him along with us. Despite how much danger he was likely being put in because of it, I was glad he had come along. Sookie and I would have likely been dead or held hostage if it wasn't for him.

We arrived at the house nearly two hours before sunrise but the nest was already awake and waiting for us.  
They were on guard the moment we walked through the door. Fangs dropped and Eric snarled at Alcide.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing here?" Eric demanded before spinning to glare down Sookie and I, "you were instructed not to bring him back to our nest."

Godric was at my side in an instant and although I could feel the anger and tension coming off of him in waves, he cupped the side of my face gently. "I smell fear on you, little one. What trouble did you get into?" although his voice was soft and concerned, the demand was still clear under the surface.

I frowned at my feet "we found the nest," I had been trying for cheerful but it had come out as a wary question.

"Did you listen to nothing we spoke about? You weren't supposed to make contact with them!" Godric hissed.

"They had two weres guarding the property. They saw us approaching and recognized Sookie and Alyssa," Alcide informed them.

Eric growled deep in his throat, "explain."

We recounted the afternoon in turns, each supplying details we thought might be important. I did my best to stress the importance that we hadn't been hurt and had, after all, found their nest. But it did little to ease the anger of the two vampires in front of us.

"I will have your head, you stupid dog," Eric growled when we had finished, "and if you think for one second that either of you are going to have a say in the remainder of this ordeal then you are sorely mistaken."

Sookie's eyes narrowed at him and she stepped between the viking and the werewolf. Angrily, she poked him in the chest as she spoke "you listen here, Northman. Alcide saved us today. He is the only reason those were's don't have us locked up in a basement somewhere. You ought to thank him for doing such a good job and keeping us safe. Since that's what you paid him for in the first place. So you can be mad at me and Alyssa all you want but don't you dare take it out on Alcide."

Eric seemed as surprised by her reaction as I was. He stared down at her for several moments, deciding his next move. "Yes, I am very angry with you, Sookie. You could have gotten yourselves killed today rather than letting us handle it as we had planned. You still owe me a debt, Werewolf. Don't forget that. I'll let you keep your head this time. But make a mistake like this in the future and you wont be so lucky," he threatened.

"I trust we don't have to stress the importance of not telling anyone where our nest is?" Godric prompted darkly.

Alcide turned to look at Godric with narrowed eyes "no, I've got the idea. Now if we're done here, I've got other things to do."

Sookie spoke before Eric had the chance to. She turned and placed her hand gently on his arm. "Of course. Thank you Alcide. It was good to see you again."

Alcide gave a last nod to the two vampires in the room before turning on his heel and leaving. The sound of an engine starting up followed shortly after.

"You two have no idea how much danger you have put yourselves and this nest in" Godric snapped.

I had never heard Godric sound so angry. His usual even tone was gone, replaced by a sparking fury held under tight reigns. I thought we would be in for several hours of scolding and lecturing, between the two of them. But they shared a tense look and Eric nodded before turning and stalking off down the front hall.

"We have much preparing to do. They will have risen by now and know you were there. This must end tonight," Godric informed us brisquely.

I pursed my lips anxiously "what can we do?"

Godric narrowed his eyes, pinning me under a harsh glare that I felt to my bones, "you two have done quite enough. Eric, Pamela and I have much to discuss."

A moment later he had spun around and followed after Eric.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, its been forever since I updated last. I am so sorry everyone! I wont list all the reasons this story got pushed to the side. A lot of things have changed in my life and that needed to be dealt with before I could properly focus on this. I hope everyone likes this chapter. It may have something that a lot of people have been waiting for.
> 
> So please enjoy, let me know what you think! Hopefully I've lived up to everyone's expectations!

The sun had just dipped below the tree line when Eric, Godric, and Pam came out of the dining room. They had locked the door and though we had been able to hear them talking, neither Sookie or I could distinguish any words. Their faces were grim as they entered the kitchen where we sat with Evan. Pam brushed past us hardly acknowledging our presence.

"You're leaving?" I questioned, catching Godric's hand as he made his way past.

He looked down at me with hard eyes "we have little choice, Alyssa. They will know by now that you were near their nest. If we do not strike now, they will."

I flinched at the cool tone of his voice. Eric as well was cold and hard as Sookie tried to coax information from him.

"Well what can Sookie and I do? I wont just wait here hoping you'll come back," I huffed, becoming irritated with his anger.

I of course understood that Sookie and I had made things more difficult for them, that we had forced their hands. But it wasn't like we had gone out with the intention of screwing everything up. We had managed to find their nest and get away unharmed. Surely that counted for something? He couldn't honestly expect us to twiddle our thumbs while they went out and risked their undead lives for us.

Apparently that was exactly what Eric thought "the two of you have done enough. You will put the lock code into the security system as soon as we have left the building and you will wait here until we return. Is that understood?"

Sookie scowled at him, as upset about the idea as I was. After a moment, however, she decided against arguing with him and nodded.

I opened my mouth to argue, if she wasn't going to say something, someone should. But Godric laid a hand lightly on my shoulder, "you need to understand, Alyssa, if I am worried about you getting hurt, I will not be focusing on the fight. I need you here, safe."

I considered pointing out that he didn't need to protect me, but up against a nest of vampires, he probably would. I hated the idea of having to wait, hoping that he would come back in one piece, but I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I was the reason he got hurt. So I heaved a sigh and nodded "fine. But you had better come back unhurt."

Godric quirked an eyebrow and shared a look with Eric, "I will do my best."

A moment later they had whisked out the door.

The three of us sat in tense silence for a long time after they left, none of us quite knowing what to do. Evan, as unwilling as she was to leave us alone, went to bed sometime after midnight. Sookie and I were much more used to staying up through the night and spent much of it pacing the house and reassuring each other that they would be alright.

It was nearly 4 in the morning when we gave up trying to keep each other from worrying too much and went to our separate rooms.

I sat in the centre of Godric's bed, wearing one of his button down shirts, and worried. I had bit my nails to the quick and chewed my lip raw. I needed to focus on something else, I decided. I searched the room for something to occupy my mind but came up empty. I was too distracted to read a book or to go downstairs and watch late night television. So I turned my concentration to picking up a book from one of the many shelves in Godric's room. Then I added another, and another. Soon there were fifteen odd books floating about the room. I kept adding more until I could barely focus enough to keep them in the air. They moved about in twisting patterns, occasionally flipping open. I would replace one on the shelf only to lift another from somewhere else in the room. It was good practice, strengthening my powers, and it took too much space in my mind to leave room to worry about Godric.

It was getting dangerously close to the sun being up, and I had begun to think that they wouldn't make it back, if they were coming back at all, when the bedroom door opened. My head whipped around and my concentration broke sending books crashing to the floor. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I hoped none of them were damaged. Some of the books in Godric's collection were quite old and likely priceless.

But there he was, standing in the doorway. He was covered in blood and dirt, however, and I couldn't tell if it was his or if it was from someone else.

"Godric!" I gasped, flying off the bed towards him "are you alright? There's so much blood."

Godric nodded slowly and gingerly made his way towards the bathroom. "Not all of it is mine, little one."

"What can I do?" I urged, following after him.

Godric pulled his shirt off, dropping it onto the cool tiles of the bathroom. My hands flew up to cover my mouth in surprise. He had several long gashes about his back and it looked like someone had taken a chunk out of his shoulder. "I just need to wash the blood off, Alyssa. Truely, I am fine."

I snorted and moved past him to turn the sink on "you are far from fine, Godric!"

"I will heal in time," he replied, reaching for a washcloth from the cabinet.

Godric winced as the movement pulled on the thick cuts along his back. "Please just sit and let me help you Godric," I insisted.

Godric hesitated for a moment but sat on the edge of the tub and quirked an eyebrow at me. I wet the cloth and went about gently rubbing the blood and dirt from his face and upper body. My heart sank at the thought of how much pain he must have been in, were he a human he would need medical attention, possibly a skin graft judging by how big the wound on his shoulder was.

Some of his wounds were gradually stitching themselves closed but the worst of them were unchanged and still oozed blood. I pointed this out to him when I had gotten the worst of the blood and dirt off but he shrugged it off. "Large wounds take longer to heal," he mumbled.

"You need to drink some blood" I urged. I had been kneeling between his knees but I rocked back onto my heels so I could catch his eye.

"We have only synthetic blood and it will do little in the way of speeding my recovery," he admitted, not meeting my gaze.

I bit my lip, I had been so glad that he had made it home in one piece, it hadn't hit me until then how bad off he was. I wondered briefly if Eric and Pam were both alright but pushed them from my mind. Eric had Sookie looking after him and Pam was fully capable of finding a human to feed from if she needed to.

"You can feed from me," I offered quietly, staring down at my feet.

Godric sighed "do not feel obligated to offer little one. I will do without."

I peeked up to meet his eyes and realized how much I wanted him to. He had protected me countless times, not to mention Evan. Not to mention he had given me his blood before I even understood how important that had been.

So I shook my head and placed my hand on his arm "I don't feel obligated to, Godric. I want you to. I want to help you. There was a time where you gave me your blood when you didn't have to. Let me do that for you too."

Godric was silent for several minutes, thinking it over. "You are sure this is alright with you?"

I pulled my hair to one side and tilted my head to expose my neck to him and waited. Godric raised his hand to cup my cheek gently and drew me towards him. He pressed his lips against mine in a searing kiss that left me breathless. Slowly, giving me every opportunity to draw back, he mouth along the side of my jaw and down my neck. He paused again, lips barely brushing against the sensitive skin of my neck. My stomach did a nervous flop, if I wanted to back out, that was my last chance. I shook off the nerves, I trusted Godric not to hurt me, so I braided my hands through the short hair at the base of his head, encouraging him.

There was a sharp pain of his fangs piercing my skin and I couldn't help the gasp that fell from my mouth. Godric groaned against my skin and the hand that had been cupping my cheek slid back to grasp the back of my neck. His other arm wound around my waist and pulled me up so I was pressed tightly against him. I whimpered lowly at the sensation of him drinking my blood. It was wholly different from being attacked in the alley, it was not painful and I wasn't panicking as I thought I might have. It was a strange mix between a pleasurable feeling and painful.

I could feel Godric becoming aroused and bit back a moan as he ground into me. The hand that was pressed against my back slipped down to cup my ass, pressing me impossibly tighter against him. Godric pulled back from my neck a moment later, lapping up the blood that was left. He loosed his grip on my neck enough that I could look at him. He stared down at me with a hungry expression. His pupils were blown, leaving almost nothing of the iris showing and his lips were parted and stained red. Aside from a small bit of blood in the corner of his mouth, he had been remarkably clean about it.

I tilted my head up to capture his lips, forgetting in an instant that it was my blood on his lips. Our lips moved against eachother in a way that left me breathless. He sucked my bottom lip into his mouth for a moment and let his teeth graze against the sensitive skin as he pulled back.

Without warning I was suddenly off of the ground and in Godric's arms. I instinctively wrapped my legs around his hips and clung onto him as he carried me. He set me down on the edge of the bathroom counter, hand on my hip to hold me there.

Godric made quick work of the buttons on the shirt I was wearing, brushing it open as soon as it was undone. The shirt fell from my shoulders and I impatiently shook it off. My bra quickly followed it to the floor. I arched my back into his touch as his hands caressed my breasts. His fingers teased and rolled my nipples as his tongue darted across my lips. I opened my mouth eagerly to his and groaned at the feeling of his tongue against mine.

My hands ran along the smooth planes of his chest, dancing across his muscles. I scraped my nails down his sternum causing him to shudder with pleasure. He tugged at the waist band of the shorts as if he was asking permission. As if he thought I might stop him. I lifted myself off of the counter slightly to allow him to pull my shorts down which he did in a quick motion. I inhaled sharply as I lowered myself back onto the counter. The cold of the counter against my backside had been unexpected. But Godric's heated gaze soon had me forgetting about it. He stared down at me, naked before him, with hungry eyes. His hands caressed along the inside of my thighs, encouraging me to spread my legs. I could hardly think between his hands on me and his gaze pinning me in place. Painfully slow, his hands made their way up my legs. By the time he reached my center he was barely touching me. I couldn't stop the gasps and whimpers that fell from my lips as he touched me. The pad of his thumb found my clit and pressed against it causing my head to fall back and I gasped his name.

Godric answered in a low growl and moved his thumb against me in small circles. My hips twitched forward and I moaned. Impatiently, I reached forward and tugged at his pants until they fell to his ankles. Godric didn't wear underwear so his length sprang free and I bit my lip as I took in the image of him standing naked before me. I coiled my legs around his hips and pulled him into me so we were pressed together.

"Please, Godric. I want you now"I groaned, reaching between us to stroke him.

Godric let out a curse in a language i didn't know and pressed his lips firmly against mine in a rough kiss. He moved to line himself up with me and gently began to push inside me. Godrics head dropped to my shoulder and his arms wrapped tightly around my hips, pressing me flush against him. We both moaned at the feeling of him being fully inside me at last. Godric paused, thinking to give me a moment to adjust but I squirmed impatiently against him.

Godric pulled slowly out then thrust forward quickly accompanied by several curses from me. We easily fell into a quick rhythm, a tight coil forming in the pit of my stomach in a matter of minutes. One of Godrics hands tangled into my hair, the other gripped my waist, pulling me in to meet each of his thrusts. He mouthed along my neck, teeth scraping against the sensitive skin. I couldn't focus enough to control the noises I was making, and would have been embarrassed if I could hold a thought long enough to be. The part of my mind that was still functioning, however, was comforted by the fact that Godric was making just as much noise as I was albeit quieter. He must have been able to sense how close I was getting as he increased his speed and the hand on my hip dipped between my legs to press against my clit once more.

"Fuck, Godric," I hissed "Yes, oh don't stop."

Godric kissed me roughly, biting my lip gently before he pulled back, "Mine," he claimed.

I nodded vigorously "yes, yours. I'm yours Godric."

Godric released a possessive growl and moved his fingers just so against me sending me toppling over the edge of my orgasm. I threw my head back and bucked against him wildly as I rode it out. Godric followed shortly after cursing and moaning my name. Our thrusts slowed as we both calmed down and I panted heavily, trying to catch my breath. Godric pressed his face into the crook of my neck and wound his arms around my hips once again seeming in no rush to remove himself from me. I ran my hands through his hair and leaned back against the cool surface of the wall behind me.

"Just so we're clear, if I'm yours, that means you're mine as well" I reminded him after several minutes of silence.

I could feel Godric smile against my neck as he nuzzled closer. "Yes, little one. I am yours, now and forever."

He stood a moment later and lifted me into his arms "the sun will be rising soon. We should rest."

We curled up in the bed, his arms around me and my head resting on his shoulder. "What happened tonight Godric?" I questioned.

Godric sighed and shook his head "they must have known we would be coming for them right away. They had hunkered down in their nest and were waiting for us. Ten of them. But many of them were very young and weren't much trouble for us. Several of the elder vampires were hiding, waiting for us to be slowed down by the younger. It was a smart plan, if not cruel. They caught us by surprise," Godric shrugged it off as if he hadn't come home covered in blood and missing a good chunk of hi shoulder.

"You were pretty seriously injured" I commented.

Godric hummed noncommittally "it was nothing that would have done any lasting damage. I am fine now. Nathaniel's mate latched onto me is all, little one."

"His mate? I didn't know vampires had mates."

"It is very rare. But similar to a makers bond. The vampires share their blood in a ceremony that creates a permanent bond between the two. They can feel each other much like a maker and child" Godric explained, carding his fingers through my hair.

"Sort of like when a human has a vampire's blood?" i questioned.

Godric shook his head above me "that is a different matter. When a vampire shares blood with a human it is very one-sided. A human and vampire can create a bond through blood sharing but it is not as powerful as that between two vampires."

Each question he answered only seemed to bring up a million other questions. I had never heard of vampire mates before and I knew little about a makers bond. Let alone a bond between a human and vampire. It must have been very uncommon, I decided, as it had never been mentioned before, even among the crowds of fangbangers that frequented Fangtasia and pretty much every other bar in Shreveport.

"I've never heard of a human and vampire having a bond like that before" I observed, hoping he would elaborate.

"It is extremely rare. Perhaps more so than mated pairs. If a vampire wants a bond with a human they simply turn them in most cases. The sun is rising little one, we can talk of this further another night, yes?"

I wasn't ready to let it go just then. Godric wasn't always so open about vampire matters and I was eager to take advantage of the opportunity. There were so many questions bouncing in my head that I hardly thought I would be able to sleep. But I knew Godric was feeling the pull of the sun and if he resisted much more he would end up with the bleeds.

"As long as you promise to answer my questions tomorrow" I bargained, pressing a kiss into his shoulder.

Godric chuckled underneath me "yes, little one, I promise."

Godric was out cold shortly thereafter, and I laid cuddled into his side for quite some time before I was able to sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, images of the werewolf that I had killed flashed through my mind. When I did manage to sleep, it was fitfully.

When I woke again it was almost four o clock, only a handful of hours until the vampires would rise. In the meantime, I made my way into the bathroom to shower. The hot water eased the stress of the past couple of days. Finally we didn't have to worry about Nathaniel popping up at every turn. Though it did make me wonder how many other vampires had grudges against Godric and Eric. Living for as long as they had I imagined there would be quite a few. Especially with the way that Godric spoke of his past.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! I'm not taking several months to update! How crazy! Hopefully I can keep that up! Please let me know what you think of this chapter.   
> I noticed after publishing, a slight inconsistency in my story in that I had mentioned bonding in a previous chapter but in the last, they spoke about it as if Alyssa had never heard about it before. I went back and edited the chapter to correct it but I'm very sorry about that!!  
> If anyone has noticed any continuity problems please point them out to me. I'd like to be able to address them so it doesn't keep happening!

The day passed by slowly, I slept until late afternoon and woke up in the best mood I had been in a long time. It could have had something to do with waking up naked in Godric's arms or it could have just been that we were out of the storm, we didn't have to hide or worry about someone attacking us. The ordeal with Nathaniel hadn't lasted very long in reality but it felt like it had been a year since I hadn't had to worry about the nest of vampires coming after us.

The hot shower felt even better than it usually did, relaxing muscles I hadn't used in a very long time. I realized how content I was as the water poured over my shoulders. We had nothing to worry about, not just in the scale of things trying to kill us. But in the way that Evan and I were together, we weren't worrying about surviving the end of the month. We were surrounded by people that cared about us. Nothing was missing.

I wondered how long it could last. Evan and I had never been in a position where we weren't stressing about something. It almost felt wrong. Like I was missing some impending danger. Even as a child I was looking after Evan, taking care of the two of us and keeping her out of our father's way. When we had gotten older it was a matter of keeping us off the streets and food in our fridge. We had never had time to simply do what we wanted.

With the remainder of the evening to myself I logged onto my laptop and scrolled through my emails. There were several inquiries about appointments and pricing for photography sessions. I felt bad, having let it fall to the wayside amidst all the excitement of the past couple months and responded to all the emails I had received. Luckily I hadn't left any projects unfinished. But now that I had realized that it had been weeks since I had had a photo shoot I felt guilty and as if I had an itch I had just noticed. Now that I had noticed it, it wouldn't go away.

I resolved to make appointments for the next couple days so I could get back into the swing of things.

Next on my list of things to do before the vampires woke up was food. I slipped on a sweater and a pair of comfortable leggings and padded down to the kitchen. Sookie was lounging on the couch, a worn paperback in her hands. Evan was in an armchair beside her flicking through channels on the large flat screen television. I voiced my plan to make dinner and the two agreed to help me prepare a meal.

Not long after we were settled at the table with fajitas and salad in front of us.

"This is nice" Sookie sighed as she pushed her plate away, "it's just been Jason and I since our Gran passed away. I feel like y'all are part of the family now."

Evan beamed at her happily "it's always just been Aly and I too. I can't say I'm down with all this vampire drama but it's nice to have family."

"It almost seems surreal, how good everything is suddenly" I mused, picking up the dirty dishes.

Sookie snorted and nodded her head in agreement, standing to help clean up. "It's like we're in the eye of the storm."

"Oh god don't say that Sookie!" Evan exclaimed, throwing her hands up, "you're practically jinxing us!"

Sookie laughed and held up her hands in defence. "If there's more trouble coming, its gonna find us on its own. That's just the way it goes in this world, seems to me."

I was about to argue with her but I couldn't say she was wrong. Trouble did seem to have its way of finding us.

"Well, we just have to enjoy the time we have between emergencies then," I pointed out, watching the sink fill up with bubbles.

"I for one, cant wait to sleep in my own bed again" Evan sighed "the bed up there is nice but it's too comfortable I think. I kind of miss my lumpy mattress."

Sookie laughed and admitted she agreed with Evan. But I hardly paid attention to what they were saying. I knew Evan didn't like living with the vampires, and I knew she had been anxious to get back to work. But it left me with the question of what I was going to do. Evan and I had never lived apart and I couldn't imagine not seeing her every day. But the closer Godric and I got, the more I wanted to spend my time with him. I felt like I was being pulled in two different directions. Not that either of them had brought up where I would be going.

I hadn't even discussed it with Godric, not really. I mentally added it to the list of things Godric and I needed to talk about when the sun went down. Evan would want to be back to normal life as soon as she could so it was only a matter of time before she insisted on going back to our apartment.

Shortly before the sun went down I excused myself from Sookie and Evan to make my way up to Godric's bedroom. I easily shed my clothes and snuggled into his side. I ran my hands through his hair as I waited for him to wake up.

His eyes snapped open some time later and his hands curled around my hips. He hummed happily as he planted a gentle kiss on my lips. He pressed quick kisses along my jaw and down my neck, nudging me onto my back. His lips made their way across my collarbone and down my sternum. Hands ghosted along my stomach and the bottom of my breasts. I squirmed against him and buried my hands in his hair.

Taking his time, Godric teased me until I was breathless and impatient. I cursed and pressed up against him, seeking more contact than the barely there caresses. Godric smiled against my skin and peeked up at me. I caught his eye and glared at him.

"I swear to god, Godric. Stop teasing me," I huffed.

Godric pulled back, a playful glint in his eyes "what is it you want Alyssa?"

I scowled at him "you know exactly what I want."

My vampire shook his head, mock confusion painted across his face "I do not. You'll have to tell me." His hands found the insides of my thighs and his fingers danced lightly across the sensitive skin.

He kept his hands just shy of where I wanted them and waited for me to speak.

"Dammit Godric. I want you inside me," I gasped as his fingers stroked feather-light along my slit.

"Anything you want," was Godric's soft reply. He followed through a moment later and we moved against each other in sync.

I couldn't have held back the gasps and moans Godric drew out of me if I had wanted to. One of Godric's hands grasped my thigh, the other held his weight beside my head. My legs were wrapped around his hips, one hand on his shoulder and the other twisted in the sheets as I felt my orgasm building.

Godric increased his speed as he felt me getting closer and nipped at the skin connecting my jaw to my neck. I felt his fangs scrape against my skin and I tilted my head to the side to expose it more for him.

Godric gasped my name a second before his fangs pierced my skin. My release hit as he did and Godric followed a moment later. He withdrew his fangs as we were both coming down and lapped up the rest of my blood. Godric rolled off of me but didn't go far before pulling me into his side.

I felt a strange sensation in the back of my mind that I couldn't identify. The hairs on the back of my neck were standing up and it felt like I was tingling all over. The feeling swept over me in waves and I curled into Godrics side, using the cool firmness of his chest as an anchor. I gasped as the feeling settled and I was left with a strange awareness in the back of my mind.

"Alyssa? Little one what's wrong?" Godric questioned, immediately concerned.

It was like a ball of putty in my hands and as Godric sat us up and cupped my face, it shifted and tensed, squirming as if frightened. Hardly aware of what was actually going on, I mentally reached out and touched it, stroking it soothingly. I felt Godric practically purring against me and he nuzzled into my neck.

"What is happening?" Godric whispered.

The more I examined the space in my mind the more it felt familiar. "Is that you? I think I can feel you Godric" I mumbled. Something deep inside me told me that was true. What I was feeling was Godric. I mentally pulled back from his space in my mind and waited to see what would happen. It grew anxious again, shifting and squirming as if trying to find purchase.

"You can feel my emotions?" Godric asking, drawing back to look at me "you can manipulate them."

"I think so, yes. But I don't understand" I replied, resisting the urge to sooth his worry again. It wouldn't be fair, manipulating how he was feeling. Not to mention I wasn't really sure what I would be doing to him.

Godric shook his head, lines appearing on his forehead. "I think we should speak with your father. I do not know enough about your demon heritage to know if this is normal."

I had to agree with him. I could feel his worry in the back of my mind and it only made me worry more. Godric was over 2000 years old. Him not knowing something seemed unreal to me.

"I'll call him" I sighed, climbing out of bed in search of my cell phone. I threw on a Tshirt of Godrics and a pair of shorts, tossing him a pair of pants as I went. Bael didn't like talking on the phone longer than he had to so he would likely decide to drop by.

I found my cellphone and dialed his number, putting it on speaker phone so Godric could hear. He answered on the third ring.

"Alyssa, dear child. You're safe" he greeted.

I frowned, he was making an observation, not asking. "Should I not be? You're on speaker with Godric and I."

"I had just received news about your vampires run in with another nest. I'm to understand that he allowed you to put yourself at risk" Bael grumbled.

Godric opened his mouth to reply, anger boiling from him in my mind. I held up a hand for him to wait. Bael was my father and my problem to deal with. "I'm a big girl Bael. And I knew what I was doing. If you knew that you also know I had a were protecting me. Besides it over, we're all fine. That's not why I'm calling."

there was a small stretch of silence in which I had to assume that Bael was reigning in his frustration. The demon had as short a fuse as any vampire. "What can I do for you then, child?"

I took a deep breath and searched for the words to explain what was happening. I looked to Godric helplessly and he stepped in. "We have come across something unexpected. Alyssa has recently allowed me to feed from her. Once when I returned from resolving the issue with this nest in which I was injured and again this evening. It seems Alyssa is now able to feel my emotions."

The laughter that answered was not what I had been expecting. Nor was it a small chuckle. Bael laughed long and hard. I pictured him with his head thrown back, clutching at his stomach. His laugh was deep and melodic and though I didn't find the situation funny in the least I found myself smiling.

"I don't see what's so funny" I voiced after a moment.

Bael stifled his laugh and took several calming breaths. "I will visit you shortly. It seems I have to explain some things to you two."

I sighed, though in relief or apprehension, I wasn't sure "I would appreciate that."

"I will be there within the hour." The line went dead and Godric and I shared a look.

"Should we warn the others?" I asked after a moment.

Godric agreed and we made our way out to find the others. Godric briefly explained what was happening to them. Everyone was curious about what was happening so we ended up gathered in the living room waiting for Bael. There didn't seem to be much debate about what was happening. It seemed like my blood created a similar awareness as vampires gained when giving their blood to a human. The vampires asked question after question about how it felt and what I was able to do.

"The shoes really on the other foot now, isn't it" Sookie observed with a small smirk.

Eric glanced over at her "what do you mean?"

Sookie raised her eyebrow at him "vampires have been using their blood's abilities on humans for forever. You tricked me into drinking your blood so you would be able to feel my emotions. Now Alyssa's blood is doing the same thing to Godric."

Eric frowned at her "I had you drink my blood because it was the best way to protect you. How else am I to know if you are in trouble? You wont move to Shreveport so if Sophie-Ann sends another lackey to come kidnap you, at least I'll know."

"You should have discussed it with me Eric. It wasn't your decision. You keep trying to manage me and control what I do and it's not fair" she snapped at him.

I watched the exchange with wide eyes. It seemed like a topic they fought about often from the way they kept bringing up what i had to assume were old arguments. It went back and forth for a long time before they both settled into an angry silence. I could feel Godric's concern for his child and reached out to grab his hand.

Evan was sitting in the armchair, watching the fight like it was her new favourite tv show. At least, I mused, she was getting some sort of entertainment out of it.

Bael walked into the room, having not knocked or come through any door. I wondered if he had just appeared outside the living room so he could make an entrance. It made me wonder how long he might have been standing there. Had he listened to Sookie and Eric's argument and waited until it was over?

He folded his tall frame into a chair and crossed his legs. Bael regarded Godric and I with an amused expression. I thought he was probably trying to contain his laughter.

"Thank you for coming by, Bael" I began, offering him a smile.

Bael waved my thanks away with his hand "anything for my favourite daughter."

It had never occurred to me that Bael probably had other children. I was curious about what they were like, what kind of relationship they had with the man sitting in front of me.

"Can you explain to us what is happening?" Godric inquired.

Bael had to fight to keep a smile off of his face again. When he had control over his expression once again he spoke "just as vampires commonly have pets, demons have thralls. As many supernatural creatures were created by demons thousands of years ago, they have been used to serve our purposes since. A supernatural fed the blood of a demon becomes enthralled."

"So what, Godric is turning into a slave?" Pam snapped.

Bael seemed unconcerned with her ire "I doubt that will be a concern. But if Alyssa wished she could have control over Godric in the way a vampire has control over his children. Among other effects. You can see how having complete control over a vampire such as Godric would be beneficial to even someone as powerful as myself"

I shook my head immediately "I would never do that. I don't want control over you" I assured Godric

He was anxious and nervous. But I could tell he wasn't concerned with me trying to control him. It made me feel better, if only slightly, that Godric didn't think I would try to do something like that.

"What do you mean, other effects?" Eric demanded.

He and Pam seemed more angry about the developments than Godric did. I hoped they wouldn't be angry with me, that they knew I didn't have any intentions of manipulating Godric.

Bael rolled his eyes at the viking. "what effects does your blood have, vampire? Your maker will be stronger, he will need to feed less, rest less. It will make him devoted to my daughter, completely loyal to her. Though I doubt that has changed anything that was not already between them," Bael paused and here he seemed displeased "you will not be able to consume any blood but that of my daughter. It will be akin to you consuming human food. The longer you continue to drink her blood, the time it takes for her blood to run its course will lengthen. With continued consumption, you would starve before you would be able to feed off of anyone else."

"How long will it take for my blood to get out of his system?" I questioned, chewing my lip anxiously.

I didn't like the idea of Godric feeding off of anyone else. But at the same time, even if Godric and I stayed together for the rest of my life, I was still at least partially human and that meant I was going to grow old and die. If Godric wasn't able to drink any other blood, after I died, he would too.

Bael shrugged "if he did not take a lot, a week perhaps. You should know as well, child, as long as the vampire has your blood in his system, you will not age. It is rare for half demons to exist, it it even rarer for them to have a thrall. So I cannot speak for all of the possibilities. But that I do know."

"What would happen if Alyssa had Godric's blood as well?" Sookie asked. I was surprised she had spoken up. She had been stewing angrily on the couch since her fight with Eric and I hadn't thought she would be overly concerned about what would happen with Godric and I.

But Sookie was a caring person and if she considered Evan and I her family like she had said earlier, I realized she was probably as worried about me as I could tell Evan was.

Bael thought it over "I don't see a reason anything out of the norm would occur. You would both see the effects of each other's blood. Alyssa's growing abilities would become that much stronger. Is that what you intend, vampire? To bond with my daughter?" Bael narrowed his eyes at Godric.

Godric didn't flinch from the glare. He shrugged and stroked circles onto the back of my hand with his thumb. For all the concern he was showing, he could have been discussing the weather. His nervousness had ebbed as well. He seemed merely curious.

"We had not truly discussed it. But it is a possibility," he allowed with a glance in my direction.

Bael sighed "I suppose you can hardly do her harm at this point. You would do well to keep my daughter safe at any rate. She is not immortal and I will not speak of the pain you will suffer should she be harmed. Both at my hands and at your own."

With that Bael walked out of the room. I didn't hear a door open or shut. Evan stretched in her seat to peer into the hall.

"What the fuck? Why can't you just teleport like that?" Evan huffed, a wry grin on her face as she settled back into her chair.

I couldnt help but laugh, if only to release the tension in the room.

"It seems we will have to discuss our next step, love" Godric hummed.

"Do we have much of a choice? You heard him Godric. If you keep drinking from me, you wont be able to stop. Ever."

Sookie stood from her seat and grabbed Eric by the wrist "lets give them some privacy. We need to talk too."

Eric looked like he was going to fight her but heaved a much put out sigh and followed her out of the room.

Pam and Evan followed them out, Evan looking back to me with a concerned expression. "You'll talk to me about it later?" Evan questioned, pausing in the doorway.

I nodded quickly "Of course, Ev. We'll talk about it too." I knew Evan was just worried about me. All of these changes had been happening so quickly. It seemed like just last week we had been living paycheck to paycheck, stretching to make ends meet. Now we weren't even living in our apartment and it seemed like it was really one thing after another.

Godric played with my fingers as the silence stretched between us. I didn't know what to say. On the one hand, if he kept feeding off of me he would eventually not be able to stop. On the other hand if he wasn't feeding from me he was going to have to get his blood somewhere else. And although I knew he had been feeding somehow before the past two days, I didn't like the thought of him drinking from another human and I knew he wasn't getting everything he needed from the bagged blood he occasionally sipped.

"What are we going to do?" I mumbled finally.

Godric shrugged, my emotions were all over the place but Godric was calm and collected. I wanted to pull his emotions in to me, but I still understood so little about the connection I had with him I was afraid to tamper with it. "We have two options dear one. We can let your blood pass from my system and I will return to consuming synthetic blood. I have done so since the great revelation and it will be no trouble to return to such. If you were agreeable to it, alternatively, I would continue to drink your blood. I do not intend to ever be parted from you by my own choice, excepting when you grew old and died of your old age. But as your father has informed us that with my continued consumption of your blood, you would not age, that needn't be an inevitability."

I stared at Godric for a minute, floored by the sentiment under his words "you would want to be with me for the rest of our lives?" I gasped.

Godric smiled shyly at me, looking every bit the young man he once was "It is alright if you do not feel the same, or if you are unsure of such a thing. I have lived two millennium and as such I know when I encounter something...someone, I wish to keep near me.

"We need not decide against the possibility this second. If you would like more time to think it over, i will return to synthetic blood. If you decide you would like differently, you need only tell me," Godric offered.

I couldn't imagine ever wanting to be with anyone other than Godric. I had been with other men before and nothing had ever felt like it did with Godric. Even amidst all the trouble we found ourselves in, I would take it 100 times over rather than be without the vampire beside me.

But it was such a scary concept, the commitment was unlike anything I had ever thought of making in the past. Sure I had considered the possibility of one day getting married. But if that didn't work out, you could divorce your spouse and go your separate ways. Not to mention that it would only last a portion of a lifetime. What Godric was offering was the rest of time. We would never die and we would never be apart. Not for very long anyway.

"What if you decide you don't want me anymore?" I voiced my concern, feeling like an insecure preteen as I did.

Godric shook his head "nothing could make me not want you, love. And if you one day decided you wanted to be with other people...I will not say I would be accepting of it. Nor would I, however, keep you from happiness," he told me sombrely "you would just have to see me every once in a while to feed me" he teased a moment later, a smile quirking up the corners of his lips.

"What if its just my blood making you feel like that? Bael said it would make you loyal to me no matter what" I pointed out.

Godric didn't seem to think that was the case but again I wondered if it was just my blood making him unconcerned about it.

"If it concerns you that much that your blood is influencing me, we will wait until your blood fades from my system so I can prove to you that it is not the case. I would request that if this is the path you decide you would like to take, that we create a bond as well. I would have eventually broached the subject with you anyway."

"Would it really be so different than what we have anyway? Any time I drink your blood you can feel my emotions and anytime you have mine I can feel yours. What would change?"

Godric nodded his agreement "on a very simple level, yes. But both fade over time. A bond would be a permanent open connection between us. Not to mention the weight a bond has in the supernatural world. To feed each other occasionally is one thing. To be bonded is a whole other matter. Bonded mates function as one person, working for their relationship. Blood sharing otherwise is very one sided," Godric explained "though for us it would be a back and forth. Bonded mates are highly respected and very rare. To harm a bonded mate is to bring down the ire of both bloodlines not to mention many of the ancients. It is a sacred bond to many."

"I like that, that it wouldn't be one sided. And that we would be protected like that. It seems like we get into a lot of trouble" I agreed with him.

It was a lot of information to process and there were so many choices and consequences. I was glad Godric had suggested waiting until his blood had made its way out of his system before we went any further.

"I think you're right though. Lets wait until my blood isn't in your system. I know you say it isn't effecting you but I'd rather we were sure. We can figure it out then and if we both want to do it, i want to bond as well."

Godric cupped my face in both his hands and leaned in to press a sweet kiss against my lips. His mouth moved slowly against mine and I melted into him. When he pulled back he stroked his thumb along my cheek. "You should speak with your sister, love, she is worried about you."

I sighed and stood up "I know she is. There's been a lot of change happening. I think Evan is just worried that its going to come between us or I'm going to forget about her. Its always been Evan and I against the world" I explained.

Godric frowned "I hope you realize I would never want to cause anything that jeopardizes your relationship with your sister. Anyone can see how important you are to each other and anyone dear to you is important to me."

I sent him a grateful smile and stroked at his spot in my mind. Purrs immediately erupted in Godric's chest causing my smile to become an amused one. "you have no idea how delightful that feels" he hummed.

I couldn't help the small giggle at the look on his face. Godric narrowed his eyes at me playfully, the purring easing out as I stopped stroking our connection. I turned and made my way out of the room in search of Evan. I would have to reassure her that no matter what happened with Godric and I, it wouldn't change anything between us. Then I would have to make sure that was actually the case. I still wasn't sure what was going to happen with Evan decided she didn't want to live in a nest full of vampires anymore. But whatever it was, I would make it work. Godric and Evan were the two most important people in my life and I would be damned if I was going to let one relationship ruin the other. There was a balance out there, I just had to find it


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter less than a month after the previous one?! I might actually be getting my shit together people. This is also a much longer chapter than usual as a certain scene got away from me. I hope you don't mind but after I wrote it, I just couldn't shorten it. Anyway, let me know what you all think! Also kudos to the guest on FF who brought up the question about Godric killing Nathaniels mate. There are some sharp readers out there!

"Alyssa, I need a word with you" Godric had stepped into the spare room where Evan and I were.  
We had been stretched out on her bed for most of the night, talking and spending some much needed quality time together. Godric seemed upset to have interrupted us and from the way he stood awkwardly in the doorway, he wasn't sure about how the intrusion would go over.

I sat up in bed, crossing my legs underneath me. Evan sighed beside me and pulled herself up as well.

"Whats up Godric?" I questioned.

"Eric, Pam, and I have been summoned by the Magister. We are to go to trial at midnight tomorrow" Godric sighed.

"Trial?" Evan demanded "what for? Who is the Magister?"

Godric stepped further into the room and perched on the edge of the bed as he explained "the Magister is the judge, jury, and executioner in the vampire world. He is given power by the authority to maintain our laws. He travels North America, holding tribunals to try any vampires found breaking the laws. We are to be brought before him for the eradication of a nest of vampires as well as the killing of bonded vampires; Nathaniel and his mate."

"That's bullshit!" I huffed angrily "Nathaniel came after us. You were just defending yourself!"

Godric nodded "we were, but vampires must seek the authorities permission before dealing with a nest of vampires as we did. Regardless, bonded mates are held to a very high esteem, they are not to be harmed but for the direst of circumstances. And I have killed them."

Outwardly, Godric seemed unconcerned with the whole ordeal and if I hadn't known better I would have thought that this trial was no big deal to him. But I could feel his emotions, anxiety was building in him, Godric was sure it wasn't going to end well.

I knew that vampires had a strict code as far as how they dealt with other vampires but I couldn't see how this was Godric's fault. If he hadn't have acted, Nathaniel's nest would have come for them and we might not have survived. Surely they would be able to explain it all to this Magister and make him see the logic behind what they had done.

"What's the punishment for something like that?" Evan mumbled. She seemed as anxious as I was, twisting her hands nervously in her lap, eyebrows drawn together and lips pressed tightly closed.

Godric hesitated to tell us "I do not want you to worry. Eric and I will handle this to the best of our ability."

I didn't like that Godric wasn't telling me what the outcome was likely to be. I could feel how uneasy he was and it made me even more anxious. "What is it Godric? What's going to happen?"

Godric stood from the bed and took several steps away, turning his back to me. "for removing a nest of vampires? Perhaps several years bound in silver in a coffin, the removal of fangs, or a large monetary restitution to the vampires makers depending on the whim of the Magister and the trouble the vampires involved caused him."

"And the bonded mates?" I pushed, trying to get a glimpse of his face.

Godric sighed "the true death."

I gaped at him. I couldn't begin to process the words. The mere thought of Godric being killed made me want to curl up in a ball and never come out. I felt sick. It was like I was in a terrible dream and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't wake up.

I must have made a strained noise because the next thing I knew, Godric was drawing me into his chest, his hands combing through my hair. "Please, Alyssa. I can't bear what you're doing to me."

I realized dimly that Godric was shaking. His whole body was wracked in shivers and his face pressed tightly against the side of my neck. He mumbled 'please' over and over, the shaking coming in waves. But I couldn't concentrate long enough to determine what he was asking of me. I could only clutch tightly at his shoulders, staring blankly at the wall behind him as I drifted further out to sea. All I could think of was Godric meeting his true death. I had nearly lost him once, what felt like forever ago, I couldn't bare the thought of it happening again.

"What are you doing to him, Alyssa?" Eric's roar snapped me out of my trance and I looked over to him stunned.

Eric loomed in the doorway, a murderous expression on his face. I slowly became aware of Godric's arms would around my waist, the way he shook like a leaf in the wind, his face firmly buried in the crook of my neck. Lastly, I realized the state of the bond. His emotions were in turmoil, shooting painfully in every direction. There was a strong urge in him to do something. But he couldn't figure out what it was. The sheer force of his need for action was crippling him.

As I calmed, I stroked his hair and rubbed his back. "It's alright, we're OK" I crooned, mentally doing my best to calm his emotions.

The shaking slowly subsided and his iron hold on me loosened. He still nuzzled into my neck but his emotions were back on a proper level.

"What the fuck was that Godric? It felt like you were going mad!" Eric growled, advancing on his maker.

Godric turned to look at Eric over his shoulder. His pupils were blown and his fangs were down. He looked purely animalistic. Evan gasped behind me and scooted as far from him as the bed would allow.

"I think it best if you stay where you are, child" Godric spoke, his voice rough and dark.

Eric stopped immediately, face registering his shock for no more than a split second before he covered it in a mask of irritation. He waited, arms crossed over his chest, a barely hidden scowl on his face.

Godric turned and gathered me into his arms, situating us so he was seated on the bed and I was on his lap. His arms wound around my middle keeping my back pressed tightly against his chest. I felt his chin rest on my shoulder and tilted my head slightly to the side so that his face wasn't buried in my hair.

"Are you alright, Godric?" I mumbled when I had gotten situated comfortably.

He nodded against me. "It seems your blood has more of an effect on me than I would have expected. I suspect your reaction to the consequences of my killing Nathaniel caused a reaction in our bond. Your father had mentioned that i would be devoted to and loyal to you. I believe he failed to explain the fierce protectiveness it would inspire as a result. Though perhaps that is an effect of the bond mixed with a vampires instincts.

"You were in pain so I felt compelled to protect you, to end the cause of your pain. But it was not a physical hurt thus there was nothing I could do."

"So you had a break down instead?" Eric snapped.

Godric regarded him calmly for a moment "I was stuck between an inability to fix something and an intense urge to do anything to cease the way Alyssa was feeling. It was much like when a maker calls their progeny and the progeny is unable to get to them."

Eric cursed "this is ridiculous. This bond is making you weak Godric."

Godric's hands tightened momentarily around me "relationships make us weak, Eric. Your connection with Sookie makes you vulnerable. Yet you do not sever that connection in favour of being invulnerable. You are out of line child, you would do well to remember your place" Godric reminded him, his voice cold and hard.

Eric looked as if he was going to argue with him further but decided against it. His eyes dropped and he nodded, giving in to his maker. "of course, I apologize Godric. I will prepare our things for the tribunal tomorrow."

Godric shook his head "we will have time tomorrow to get everything in order. Spend the rest of this night with Sookie."

Eric seemed relieved and nodded before turning on his heel to leave the room. Godric released his hold on me. "I apologized Alyssa. I should not have reacted like that."

I shook my head and pressed a kiss under his eye "it was my fault. I don't know how my blood will effect you. We'll figure it out after this whole thing with the Magister." I refused to acknowledge that Godric might not come back from the tribunal. He would figure something out, there was no way he would be killed over such a small thing. He had survived two thousand years, he couldn't die on me now.

"Look you guys obviously have a lot to talk about and it's about time I go to sleep. so..." Evan trailed off, hinting towards the door.

I briefly regretted my time with Evan being cut short but I couldn't bring myself to tell Godric to let us have some more time before she went to bed. If there was even a chance that I wouldn't see Godric after the tribunal tomorrow night, I wanted to take as much time with him as I could. I was grateful that Evan seemed to understand that. Godric stood from the bed, setting me gently on my feet in front of him. I grabbed his hand and dragged him behind me towards his room.

With an unspoken urgency, Godric shed our clothes, his lips fusing against mine in a long line of searing kisses. His hands softly caressed up and down my body, grinding against me. I sighed his name into the side of his neck, my hands running up and down the smooth planes of his chest.

Godric's hand stroked over my breasts, teasing my nipples. The cold feeling of his skin against mine set me on fire. I was squirming against him in a matter of minutes. We fell back onto the bed and Godric's lips left mine to travel down my neck. He planted kisses along my collar bones and down my sternum. His breath ghosted across my chest, goose bumps breaking out over my body. His tongue flicked out quickly against my nipples before he took them into his mouth. My back arched up into him and I moaned his name. His mouth lavished attention on one breast as his fingers mimed his tongues actions on the other.

My hips moved against him, seeking any friction I could manage. He hovered over me just out of reach, his free hand snaking down to grasp my hip and hold me to the bed.

"Godric, please" I gasped, my hands digging into his shoulder.

I tried to press my thighs together, desperately needing any sort of pressure between my legs. Godric growled against my skin and pressed his legs against mine, forcing them to remain open. He kissed and nipped at my skin, working his way up and down my body. I was begging him at that point for more, lost in how worked up he had made me.

"You're so turned on, Alyssa. All for me" Godric growled possessively into my ear. His teeth grazed down my ear lobe.

Frustrated beyond belief, I let go of his shoulder and moved my hand between my legs. Before I could give myself the relief I was in desperate need of, Godric grabbed my wrist and pinned it above my head. He pulled my other hand from his shoulder to join the other above my head.

"Dammit Godric, please fuck me already" I pleaded with him.

Godric grinned down at me, a devilish smile on his face. His head dipped down to mouth at the side of my neck and he groaned. "You smell so good, worked up like this. I want to keep you here forever" Godric purred into my neck.

I moaned in frustration tossing my head to the side "I swear to god, Godric. If you don't do something soon, I'm going to kill you."

Godric laughed and brought his mouth up to kiss me. His tongue coaxed my lips open and swirled around mine. I could feel his fangs brush against my lips and remembered what he had said to me several nights ago about the sensitivity of his fangs. I wound my tongue around one of his fangs and closed my lips around it, sucking gently on it. Godric shuddered above me and a deep growl erupted in his chest. The hand that had been holding my hips down finally dipped between my legs, fingers plunging into my centre.

I gasped and arched against him, hips moving against him urgently. His thumb found my clit and stroked it forcefully.

"Is that what you wanted?" Godric demanded as his fingers rapidly coaxed me towards an orgasm.

"Yes" I gasped "Godric, please, I'm so close. Please don't stop." I begged, my hips bucking on their own accord.

His fingers curled inside me, hitting an extra sensitive spot just as his thumb pressed down on my clit, working small circles into it. My orgasm hit me hard. I screamed his name and moved wildly underneath him. Godric didn't let up as I rode out my climax and continued to move as I came down, keeping wave after wave of pleasure coursing through me with the aftershocks my orgasm.

I was gasping for breath and covered in a fine sheen of sweat. Godric pulled his fingers out to my dismay. I watched as he brought his hand up to his mouth and licked his fingers clean, groaning at the taste. His mouth was on me a moment later, hardly giving me time to catch my breath before his tongue was moving against my clit.

His hands gripped my thighs, keeping me firmly pressed against him as I squirmed. One hand gripped the soft sheets of the bed as the other tangled in Godric's short hair, holding him to me. His tongue alternated between circling my clit and dipping into me, lapping up my juices.

He read my body easily, another orgasm quickly building. Tension coiled in the pit of my stomach like a tightly wound spring. I writhed and shook in the bed, his name falling from my lips in between a constant stream of gasps and moans. Sensing how close my orgasm once again was, his tongue up to my clit as his fingers entered me once again. He sucked the sensitive bundle of nerves into his mouth, teeth grazing against the sensitive skin at the same time as his fingers found that certain spot inside me, sending me toppling over into my second orgasm. His tongue continued to stroke from my entrance to my clit as I came down, shuddering from the powerful aftershocks once again.

When I had caught my breath, he pulled away from between my legs, manoeuvring me so I was on my side. His arm snaked between my legs, catching my knee on the crook of his elbow. He drew my leg up to my side, opening me up to him. He positioned himself at my entrance. Teasingly running his cock up and down the length of my pussy. I grabbed the back of his neck and pulled his face to mine, planting a searing kiss on his lips.

"Please Godric, I need you inside me" I begged against his lips.

Godric groaned, pressing his forehead against mine. "yes" he hissed as he pushed his hips forward.

We both moaned as he filled me. Godric started moving immediately, pulling almost completely out of me before snapping his hips forward again. He set a steady pace and I moved my hips to meet every thrust. Godric peppered kisses along the side of my face and shoulders. I could feel his lust in the back of my mind, feeding my own. I pushed my own lust at him and Godric thrust wildly. His eyes snapped up to mine in surprise. I did it again and watched in fascination as his pupils blew wider, the colour in his eyes almost nonexistent.

He returned to covering my neck in kisses, thrusting into me with more urgency as he did. His fangs scraped against my skin and I quickly moved my hair out of the way.

His fangs biting into me was the final straw sending me over the edge again. I screamed my release and Godric came a second later, roaring my name into the side of my neck. He continued to take long pulls of my blood, thrusting lazily into me as we both rode out our climaxes.

Godric laid beside me, curling around my back, without pulling away from between my legs. He licked my neck clean and drew patterns into the skin of my stomach with cool fingers.

"Mine" he purred, pressing me more securely against him.

"Yes" I hummed "all yours."

I squirmed until I was turned to face him, legs tangling in his. I stroked down the side of his face, tracing his features with the tips of my fingers "you better come back to me Godric. I don't care what that Magister says. You are mine and I will not lose you" I told him forcefully. I kissed him roughly as if to make a point, biting his bottom lip as I pulled away.

Godric nodded sagely "I will do everything in my power, Alyssa. I hope you know that."

I had to hope that that would be good enough. Godric was a powerful vampire, anyone could see that. When he walked into a room every vampire took notice. They treated Godric with a kind of reverence beyond the respect they had for Eric. Surely he had enough sway in the vampire community to avoid any serious consequences at the hands of the Magister.

"I want to do the bond, Godric" I mumbled.

Godric looked at me with surprise, eyes roaming my face to see if I was serious "you're sure?"

I nodded quickly "I don't ever want to be apart from you."

Godric smiled at me and kissed me gently. I couldn't identify what he was feeling. It was beyond just happy, something more powerful. It made me feel warm inside and a bright smile bloomed across my face.

"When I return from the tribunal, if you still wish to, we can the minute I return."

"Why can't we now? I love how connected I feel to you when you've had my blood. I want to share that with you."

Godric shook his head "if the tribunal does not go favourably, I do not wish for you to experience that through our bond. If we were to have a fresh bond and I...was not able to return to you, the amount of pain it would cause you. I wont put you through that."

I huffed at him "I'll be in pain if you don't come back regardless. But you will come back." I insisted.

Godric smiled sadly at me, his hand brushed a stray curl out of my face "I will do everything I can to come back to you, dear one."

It wasn't good enough, there was still to much chance that he wasn't going to come back. But I didn't push, it was all Godric could promise and I believed him. We cuddled into each other, Godrics hand in my hair lulling me to sleep moments before the sun went down.

I woke shortly after noon and kissed Godric's cheek softly before climbing out of bed. I took a quick shower, tying my long hair up into a knot at the top of my head. I contemplated curling back up with Godric, a part of me unwilling to let him out of my sight just in case this was the last night I got to spend with him. But i reminded that part of myself that Godric was going to come back. Damn the Magister, he was Godric. If he had once been known as Death, surely he could summon that part of himself when he faced the Magister. No one could stand up to Death, right? No one could kill Death.

I continued to remind myself of that as I left Godric's room and made my way downstairs. Sookie was already up as well, nervously sipping a cup of coffee. I noticed fresh, unhealed bite marks on her neck. I had no doubt that Eric had bitten Sookie previously but she had always been insistent on him healing them. She worked at a small bar in Bon Temps and her coworkers weren't the biggest fans of people who consorted with vampires.

Of course they knew Sookie also worked for Eric. But she had explained it was one thing for her to be working for Eric, and another for her to be sleeping with him in their eyes. Although anyone who saw them together assumed they were more than just business associates. There was no denying the chemistry between them. I didn't know why Sookie even bothered to try.

I settled down beside her with a cup of my own and we sipped at our drinks in silence for a long time.

"They're going to come back right?" Sookie questioned, her voice shaking slightly.

I bit my lip and took another drink of coffee to delay my answer "they have to."

Sookie nodded and smiled slightly at me, though I don't think I made her feel any better. We lapsed back into silence for several minutes, the afternoon slowing rolling by. I at once wanted the sun to set so that Godric would wake up, and wanted the sun to stay up forever. At least while the sun was up, Godric was safe from the tribunal and the Magister.

"Maybe the Magister will just make them pay a fine. That's what Eric said the least they could hope for was. If they don't antagonize him too much...if he's in a good mood" Sookie mumbled, placing an empty cup of coffee on the side table.

I nodded slowly "Godric said that the standard sentence for killing mates was the true death" at Sookie's shocked, terrified face I quickly added "but maybe Eric wont be included in that. Godric did it after all, not him." I didn't know if it would make a difference, since Eric was included in the attack. But I hoped it made Sookie feel better. It hadn't been something I was worried about before and it was hard to hope that if Godric died, they would spare his child. But it was the best of the worst case scenario. At least his family would be safe.

Thinking about it made me feel even worse. My stomach was twisting painfully and it felt like my heart might drop out of my chest at any moment.

Evan padded into the room with a sandwich and a bottle of pop. She took one look at Sookie and I on the couch and sighed. Moving quickly, she fiddled with the remote for the TV and popped a disk into the DVD player.

"I know there isn't anything I can do to help you guys. Nothing I can say is going to make this better. But if you two sit here worrying about them all day, you're going to go crazy. There will be plenty of time to worry when they've left. Until then, we're going to pretend none of it is happening" Evan ranted, hastily settling down between Sookie and I on the couch. "We're going to watch this funny movie and I know neither of you are in the mood but we're all going to pretend that we are and that this is just like any other afternoon."

I leaned over to rest my head on Evan's shoulder, my feet tucked under me on the couch. "thanks Ev." I mumbled, arms crossed over my chest in an attempt to hold it together.

Evan took a deep breath to steady herself and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. Sookie looked over at us hesitantly and Evan opened her other arm to the blond. Sookie scooted over and mirrored my position, laying her head on Evans shoulder.

I didn't know what movie Evan had put in and I couldn't say I found a minute of it funny. But it was something to watch and it did its job in distracting Sookie and I as the afternoon crawled by.

When the sun finally dipped below the horizon, all of the anxiety that I had been avoiding through the day came back full force. The three vampires came out of their rooms and down the stairs as one. They wore the same grim faces they had shown before going to attack Nathaniel's nest.

We stood to meet them, Evan hanging back slightly to give us our space. Pam took one look at Sookie and I and sighed.

"I will wait for you outside." Pam turned on her heel and marched through the front door.

I knew she was worried about the nights events but I hadn't expected to say goodbyes. No matter the circumstances I couldn't see Pam willingly being sentimental or showing feelings.

"You have to go right away?" I demanded, approaching Godric.

He nodded sadly, raising a hand to cup my face "the tribunal is gathering some distance away. It will take us a couple hours to get there."

Sookie was glaring at Eric, her arms folded across her chest. She cocked her hip to one side and raised an eyebrow in challenge to him "I don't see why Alyssa and I can't join you. We were part of the reason you attacked Nathaniel right? Maybe there's something we could do" she insisted.

Eric glared right back at her "I already told you, no. Humans cannot attend the tribunal. It will only put you in danger to be there."

I leaned into Godric, watching the exchange. His arm wrapped around my waist and he leaned his forehead against the side of my head. It hadn't occurred to me to go with them to the tribunal. If it was vampire court, so to speak, then we didn't have a place there. I knew most vampires didn't value human life the way the vampires of this particular nest did. I would have worried that they would have used Sookie or I as a way to punish Godric and Eric. As Eric had pointed out the previous night, we made them vulnerable and I would be damned if someone was going to use me as a tool to hurt Godric.

"We aren't human" Sookie countered.

"You know what I mean Sookie. You will stay here if I have to tie you up to accomplish it" Eric growled at her.

Sookie stared him down angrily but I could see her resolve breaking. Her lower lip trembled and her eyes filled with tears. Eric's own hostile stance deflated and he gathered Sookie in his arms, crooning comforting words at her. I turned to Godric and wrapped my arms around him.

"You can't go" I mumbled into his shoulder. "I wont let you."

Godric sighed, his strong arms squeezing around me for a moment before he pulled back. "I wish it were so simple, lover." his hand cupped my face and he gently kissed me.

I savoured the kiss, our lips moving against each other languidly.

He pulled away too soon. "I will return to you as soon as I am able."

It would never be soon enough, every fibre of my being ached at the thought of him walking into this ordeal without me. I wanted there to be something I could do. I felt so helpless saying goodbye to him. Eric said his goodbyes to Sookie a moment later and with a final kiss, a stoic mask took over the vampires faces. They were through the door the next second. All that was left was for us to wait for them to get back.

Godric sped along with Eric and Pam in tow, barely a registered blur to any human eyes. They moved through the trees like shadows eager to finish the nights business before it even started. The Tribunal had been set to take place in a small backwoods town, in a clearing near a lake. It was a step up from the previous meeting places of tribunals. The Magister had been known to hold them everywhere from parking lots of strip malls to junk yards. Occasionally he would decide to host them in conference rooms but it was rare. There was a large circle of vampires already gathered around the truck that carried the Magister's 'throne'. Vampires often came from all around to watch the Magister dole out justice.

Godric regarded them with distaste. Never had he thought less of a group of vampires than the group that gathered round the Magister. They fed off of the pain of their fellow vampires as if it were a party. Many of them had brought cases of true blood to drink as they watched the proceedings.

Godric and his nest approached the outer rim of the circle just as the Magister had a vampire chained in silver and coffined. He would escape spending five years in the coffin, as was the customary time, but his one year would be an eternity for him. No vampire came out of the coffin the same. They usually did not survive a decade, either being put down by another vampire out of pity, or they would inevitably break a law and thus be returned to the Magister's court. They came out like wild, rabid animals and there was no telling what a vampire like that would do. Especially if they did not have a strong maker ready to control the vampire afterwards.

Godric wondered if this vampire was a glimpse of his near future. He ached at the thought of not being able to return to his Alyssa. Even if he was silvered, he could never return to her, he would be too much of a danger to her.

They watched apprehensively as the Magister ran through several more cases. He dished out justice with boredom, flicking through his phone as vampires had their fangs ripped out. It was a favourite punishment of his. Finally he looked through his list of trials and a spark of interest crossed his face.

"Sheriff Northman, along with his maker Godric and progeny Pamela" The Magister called "my most interesting case of the night."

Eric stepped through the crowd, Godric and Pam behind him. "We are here, Magister."

"Gaul, it has been a long time since i have seen you. I must say I never expected you to be standing before me" the Magister remarked smugly.

Godric dipped his head in acknowledgement but knew better than to speak when he was not asked a question. He found the man to be a sorry excuse for a vampire, everything that was wrong with them.

The Magister was bored and sought to entertain himself through the pain of others. For a vampire that only had power because others consented to give it to him, he was haughty and conceited. Despite vampires coming out of the coffin he still operated on the old beliefs that humans were nothing except a means to being fed.

"You three are charged with the killing of a nest of vampires, included in which was were bonded mates. I had thought your line, if any, held our kind to a higher esteem. You have always been an advocate for the sanctity of vampire blood, Godric. So does one of you care to explain yourselves?" The Magister demanded.

They shared a look and Godric stepped forward. They were all aware of the power Godric's name still held among vampires. He may have changed in the past century but vampires had long memories and many could remember the Godric who had earned the moniker of Death.

"Nathaniel was part of a nest with an old feud with my progeny and I. It is one my child and I have long since given up among many other feuds in favour of upholding peace between vampires. Nathaniel would not so easily let go. He threatened my nest and swore he would not rest until he had had his revenge.  
"We acted before Nathaniel could draw any unneeded attention. Nathaniel has always been a very dramatic vampire and he had taken several Weres into his service. When we confronted Nathaniel, hoping to resolve the conflict without violence, we discovered the weres had been fed vampire blood. My progeny and grand-progeny destroyed them while I sought Nathaniel out. His mate attacked me before I was able to manage the situation and I had no choice but to end her in order to protect myself. Nathaniel attacked in turn and I ended him as well. The rest of his nest was taken care of by Eric, Pamela, and I as we left." Godric knew it was a risk to rework the events to better suit their story, but they had hardly left any witnesses to dispute his telling of the events. Nor would he risk revealing that it had been sparked by Nathaniel's threat to Alyssa. Half demon or not, she was human in the eyes of the Magister and that was human enough to him. No one was higher than vampires, in the eyes of the Magister.

"It is an interesting story you weave, Godric. And with no one aside from your nest to confirm your claim. What am I left to do? Setting aside that you might have contacted the authority to deal with your problem, you have broken a fundamental law of ours in harming mates. Do you and your progeny keep humans?"  
Godric did not like where this line of questioning was going. Anything that called Alyssa to the Magisters attention would not be good. He could hardly deny the fact though. Alyssa and Sookie had spent enough time at Fangtasia that it would be impossible to deny that they were involved with him and his child. "Yes, Magister, Eric and I both have a human."

"You would think vampires as old and influential as yourselves would keep several humans." The Magister observed.

Godric shrugged "one serves all the purposes I need of her, without the trouble of maintaining a harem." it made Godric sick to refer to his Alyssa in such crass terms but to say otherwise would only dig a further hole for his bloodline.

The Magister smirked at him "true, they are a great deal more trouble than they are worth. I am feeling creative in my verdict tonight. You and your progeny seem to need a reminder of the consequences of killing the bonded. Shall I have you turn your humans and bond with them? I would of course have them killed as soon as it was complete."

Godric grit his teeth at the Magisters idea. He would gladly meet his true death before he allowed that to happen to Alyssa.

"They aren't human" Pam blurted, a panicked expression on her face. She knew how her maker and grand-maker would react if they were sentenced as the Magister suggested. They would both meet the sun before they allowed it to happen and there was no way Pam was going to watch the only two people she cared about meet their true deaths when they still had cards to play.

The Magister regarded her shrewdly "you would do well to remind your progeny not to speak out of turn" he snapped at Eric. "what is this she speaks of?"

Eric took a deep breath, shooting a glare at his child. He didn't want to bring Sookie into the trial anymore that Godric wanted Alyssa involved. Her speaking out of turn would only irritate the Magister. "Sookie is part fae, of the Brigant line, and Alyssa is half demon, child of Bael, one of seven princes of Hell ruler of the east" Eric explained.

The Magister clenched his jaw at the names Eric dropped. A glimmer of hope alighted in Godric's chest. To harm a descendant of Nial Brigant was to risk starting another war with the Fae. Demons were not as well known to vampires but the Magister knew enough that they were powerful beings and rarely claimed their descendants. The fact that Bael had officially claimed Alyssa as his spoke volumes about how he felt about her.

"powerful pets for powerful vampires" the Magister snapped unhappily. He threw himself back into his chair in frustration.

The Magister rarely got to exact his will on vampires with reputations like Godric, let alone their whole line. He was seething at his general inability to do as he wished. To have Godric meet the true death would be to anger every ancient in North America. That would cause him no end of trouble and questioning. Ancients were important parts of the vampire world. Even without title, the Gaul held great sway in the community. He would have vampires after his head for ages. Their humans seemed untouchable as well. Both from powerful histories, he would incite the rage of the authority if his actions. He could always remove their fangs and add them to his collection but it would only seriously affect the youngest of the three. Godric and Eric were old enough that they would return in a matter of a week. Pamela would take months.

He heaved a sigh and glared at the trio. "You will pay heavy restitution to the vampires makers. If one cannot be found you will split that balance between the ones who can. Each of you will pay separately. Someone will be in contact with the bill. You will also be pierced with silver. Let your precious companions heal you if they are so powerful."

Godric knew how easily they were getting off. A monetary fine and piercing by silver were small prices to pay. The knot of anxiety in his stomach eased. He would be returning to his Alyssa before the sun rose.

"You three would do well to avoid getting my attention again. I am feeling gracious tonight but my ire will be no inconsequential thing should you appear before me again. Now step forward."

The three approached slowly and allowed the Magisters attendants to shackle them with thick silver manacles. Their fangs dropped as the silver searing into their skin. Several of the attendants stepped forward with sharp shards of silver. They were slowly forced through various parts of their bodies. Pamela growled and snapped at the others as they went about their duty. Eric, more contained, snarled as each vampire approached, shooting daggers as they stabbed metal through his shoulders and arms. The younger ones recoiled from him as they did their job, afraid of the older vampire. Only Godric remained stoic throughout the process. His fangs and the quiet hiss he let out with each piece of metal were the only indications that he was in any pain.

The Gaul had had a long experience in pain at the hands of others and silver was not a novel vessel for torture. His maker had been sadistic and very creative. The actions of the Magister paled in comparison to what he had experienced in his early vampire life.

His lack of reaction angered the Magister. He was determined to garner a reaction from the ancient vampire. The Magister pulled a gun from his coat and quickly shot Godric three times, once just above his collarbone, once in his stomach and finally in his thigh. Godric gasped and fell to the ground, grinding his teeth at the pain. The force of such close quarters shots embedded the bullets deep inside him and as they were made of silver his body did not push them out as it would of otherwise.

Finally the Magister smirked. The silver shrapnel that the attendants had pierced them with were yanked out, a process that caused just as much pain as putting them there. Finally their manacles were ripped off, taking chunks of skin with them.

Godric grit his teeth as he forced himself to stand, refusing to lean on his child. He would not show so much weakness in front of such a large gathering of vampires thirsty for any sense of vulnerability.

"Now get out of my sight. If I even hear a breath of your names in conjunction with a crime, I will have all of you fangs for that offence alone"

The trio quickly sped off into the trees, slightly slower for their injuries.

"After you've found someone to feed on, come back to the nest. I don't want the Magisters men to find you alone if he decides he's not satisfied" Eric ordered as they flew through the trees.

"I'm already on it" Pam replied, changing her course to head into the town. No doubt she would find some unsuspecting human to glamour into letting her feed.

By the time Godric and Eric had reached the street their nest was on, Godric had slowed to a human paced walk. The bullets had slowly been pushing their way out of his body but the effort it took and the blood loss he had experienced made him very weak. Eric slowed to keep pace with him, watching his maker with concerned eyes. Godric waved him off, he knew how anxious Eric was to get back to his Sookie, to let the petite blond know he was safe and relatively unharmed. Alyssa would be worried as well and Godric did his best to speed up. They had been gone most of the night, with only a few hours left until sunrise he didn't want to keep her waiting any longer than he had to.

Eric hesitated, unwilling to leave his maker in such a vulnerable state. But they were within sight of the nest then. So with a final look to Godric, Eric sped off in the direction of the house.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, out of my usual format, my author note is at the end of this chapter so I can address some stuff without spoiling anything!

Godric was just turning into the front yard of his nest when he became aware of another being nearby. He could hear their heart beat, but their scent was not human. He paused and turned in a slow circle, eyes taking in every detail of his surroundings. Just to behind the treeline to the side of the house he spotted a shadow. As soon as his eyes had fallen on the shape, the figure stepped forward.

He was tall, taller than Godric but several inches shorter than his progeny. The man has thin but athletic in build and he moved gracefully across the lawn as if his feet were barely touching the ground. He wore ripped dark jeans and a faded green v neck shirt. The mans features, still somewhat obscured by the shadows, were sharp and defined. Thin lips stretched into a smirk, revealing dimples on either side of his face. High set cheek bones, a long straight nose and deep set eyes gave him an interesting sort of attractiveness. His skin was tanned but had a peculiar greyish tint to it and his eyes were void of any white. Instead it was as if his pupils took up the whole of his eyes. But these were not the most striking features. It was his horns that grabbed the attention. They sprouted from the mess of chocolate curls that fluttered around his face and curled back on either side of his head. They were akin to that of a ram, Godric guessed, though on a smaller scale.

The man approached Godric with little concern, a smile on his face like an old friend who had managed a surprise visit.

Godric considered reaching out to his child. He was weakened from the nights events and as he wasn't sure what to expect from the creature before him, it would be wise to have back up. But the man didn't seem hostile or confrontational. He strode easily across the lawn, long arms swinging at his sides.

"Who are you?" Godric demanded as he got closer.

The smile on his face grew wider. "My name is Anthony. I seek Alyssa, daughter of Bael. You smell of her."

Godric's eyes narrowed. Was this a friend of the demons? Or an adversary? Bael was sure to have many enemies who would like to get their hands on the daughter he had recently shown such affection for. Surely the demon would have mentioned sending someone to them? Then he did seem like the type to wait until after the fact to explain himself.

"Who are you to Bael?" Godric questioned him further, forcing himself to ignore the painful throbbing in his shoulder. The silver bullet would have to be forced out and soon, his skin would try to heal over it if it wasn't tended to.

Anthony sighed impatiently, he had stopped several feet away from Godric and crossed his arms. "I am his...nephew I suppose. My mother is a demon from Bael's bloodline. Little Alyssa is my cousin. The first addition to our bloodline with human blood since, well, me."

The information didn't make Godric trust him any more than he had at first sight. He was debating what his next move would be, when Anthony waved a hand at his shoulder.

"I can remove the bullet for you, if you'd like. I'm sure its causing a fair bit of pain."

Godric grit his teeth "I am fine."

Anthony seemed less than impressed. "you needn't lie to me, vampire. I can sense my cousins blood in you. She obviously cares about you so I would like to help. I needn't touch you, I possess the ability to manipulate objects with my mind. Allow me to safely remove the silver from you."

Godric had hardly opened his mouth to respond when Anthony adopted a look of concentration. The bullet in his shoulder shuddered and began to pull out of his wound. Godric hissed in pain as the silver rubbed over his skin anew. But a moment later it dropped to the ground in front of him and his body set to work healing itself.

"what are you doing here? What do you want from Alyssa?" Godric demanded after a moment.

He eyed Anthony as he explained, watching for even the slightest indication that he was lying. "Bael asked me to watch over Alyssa and to teach her about her gifts. Her father cannot long be away from his realm as there is...trouble brewing. As I am a halfbreed I am less important in the demon realm and will not be missed."

Godric stored the information away for later. They would certainly be confirming the information with Alyssa's father before the night was over. No way was he letting a strange man, half demon or no, into their nest without first assuring his credibility. He didn't exactly trust Bael, but he knew the demon would not do anything to put his daughter at risk. If he had truly sent the man standing in front of him, then he was no threat to his Alyssa at any rate. "Very well. We will contact Bael to...confirm your explanation. For now, you may come in" Godric invited, leading the way into the house.

The first thing he noticed was that Sookie and Eric were already locked away in their room. He would fill his progeny in on Alyssa's supposed cousin later. There was still enough of the night left that he didn't think it would be worth tearing them apart just yet.

Next he noticed his beloved curled up on the couch of the living room, her sisters head in her lap. Alyssa was anxiously running her hands through the younger womans hair while staring off into space. He cleared his throat gently to draw her attention. Alyssa's head whipped around and landed on him, her mouth popped open in surprise. She quickly disentangled herself from her sibling and leapt off the couch. The feeling of her arms around him eased an anxious knot in the pit of his stomach he hadn't realized was there. Godric wrapped his arms around her slender waist and relaxed into her. He breathed in her scent and let his breath fan out into her hair, marking her in a small way.

He intended to bond with her as they had discussed, if of course she was still willing, then the world over would know she belonged with him.

It felt like I was able to breath again. Godric was safe, he was home, and he was alright. Though the amount of blood soaking his shirt was worrisome. I had been a nervous wreck all night, my mind on overdrive thinking of all the terrible things that could have been happening at the tribunal. When I had felt Godrics pain spike through our bond I had nearly torn my hair out. There was nothing I could do, i felt useless and terrified.

It felt like they had been gone forever, Evan had fallen asleep in my lap in the middle of a movie. Sookie and I had let the credits roll through after and stared at the menu screen of the DVD for an eternity. Neither of us had really been watching and I don't know how long that menu screen played infront of us before I noticed the movie had ended.

Eric had breezed into the house not long after I just gave up and shut the television off. He had had Sookie off the couch and in his arms before I could process him being there. He had called a quick "Godric and Pam are alive" over his shoulder before they had disappeared upstairs.

I didn't blame him wanting some 'quality alone time' with Sookie after what had happened but I really wished he had stayed long enough to tell me where Godric was and if he was even coming back. It was a small relief to know he was alive but it had created a whole knew worry for me. What if Godric wasn't coming back? Why else would Eric have left him and Pam?

And then I had heard someone clear their throat and suddenly he was there. I all but threw Evan's head off my lap, thankful that she was a sound sleeper, and launched myself at my vampire. I had barely processed the blood on his shirt, the pained expression on his face or the tired way in which he carried himself, before I was wrapped up in him. I couldn't get close enough.

With his face buried in the side of my neck, his breath tickling the sensitive skin, my hands stroked up and down his arms. I combed through his hair and pressed tightly against him. One of his hands was pressed between my shoulder blades, holding me against him. The other wound into my hair. Cool fingers massaged into my scalp eliciting a pleased groan.

As he pulled back I peppered kisses up his neck and along his jaw. When our lips finally met, it quickly morphed from sweet to needy. His mouth moved aggressively against mine. I opened my mouth to him and his tongue delved forward to dance along mine. I scraped my teeth along his lip and his hands clutched me a little tighter. I could feel his need matching mine not only through our bond, but pressed against my stomach as well. I moaned against his mouth and found my back suddenly pressed against the cool surface of a wall. He easily lifted me up and I wound my legs around his hips. His hands cupped my ass, holding me up and I felt his length along my centre. He moved to mouth along my jaw, being careful that his fangs didn't unintentionally draw blood. He had just gotten to the underside of my jaw where I was sure he intended to bite me when someone coughed awkwardly.

I froze, my eyes flying open in search of the sound. Godric growled into my neck, his whole body shaking with it. The man standing in the doorway had an amused, if slightly uncomfortable, expression on his face. He leaned against the open door easily, arms folded across his chest as if he had been here a thousand times.

I'm sure my face was as red as a cherry. Godric had glanced at who had dared to interrupt us, murder in his eyes. But when they lighted upon the man, he came back into his right mind. I wondered at how much he must need not only to reaffirm our connection, but blood as well. He had clearly been very injured at the tribunal and lost a lot of blood. I wondered if I would be able to provide him enough or if he would need to drink some of the bagged blood in the fridge as well.

More importantly, who the hell was this and why did Godric seem to recognize him? He set me back on my feet and flashed me an apologetic smile. "Alyssa, is Anthony. He has come at the request of Bael, although we will have to confirm that."

"I seem to have come at a bad time. I did not mean to...interrupt the reunion you all are clearly having" Anthony apologized, glancing meaningfully in the direction of the upstairs bedrooms. His voice was deep and unexpectedly rough. It sounded like he had been gargling gravel.

"As you can see it has been a very trying night" Godric offered by way of an explanation.

Anthony shrugged it off and moved into the entryway. The door swung shut of its own accord behind him. "If you would like, you can contact Bael to confirm my presence and I can come back during daylight, so you can get back to, well, before I interrupted."

I still wasn't sure what was going on, nor why Anthony was here. Bael had never mentioned sending someone to me and Anthony's presence warranted some forewarning. The man had horns for crying out loud. I quickly pulled out my phone and dialed Baels number. He picked up just when I was thinking it would go to voicemail.

"Hello, dearest Alyssa" his voice sang through the phone.

I sighed, "hello Bael. Do you know why someone named Anthony would be looking for me?"

There was silence on the other end of the line. It stretched for long enough that I began to wonder if the call had been dropped "is he there right now?" Bael demanded.

Godric had tensed beside me. He shifted subtly to put himself more completely in front of me. "yes. I'm looking at him right now."

Bael sighed in exasperation "I see. I'm sure he's under the impression I sent him to you."

I nodded though Bael couldn't see me "yes, that seems to be the case."

Another long suffering sigh from the demon "the boy can be trusted, you needn't worry about that. His mother is... like family to me and as an extension so is Anthony. I had only mentioned that you would need coaching as your gifts developed and of course Abraxas thought she would get involved. Anthony is one of the few other half demons who know from whence they came. As you can no doubt see, his demonic presence is quite...obvious. So he had been brought up mainly in the demon realm. Nevertheless he will be a good resource for identifying your gifts and helping you expand on them as they emerge. He can protect you as well."

My eyebrows came together and I frowned. "protect me? Maybe you forgot but I live in a vampire nest at the moment and Godric is more than enough protection."

"even your ancient thrall will be all but powerless against the demons that may wish you ill. There is...trouble stirring in the realm. It may not be long before it spills over into yours. No. Anthony's presence will be good in the coming months."

I bit back a frustrated groan. It really did never end. If it wasn't crazy people coming after me, then it was vampires with a grudge against Godric, and since that was taken care of, of course there had to be demon trouble. "Great. Thanks for the heads up about that too" I huffed sarcastically.

"Many still do not know you exist. I suggest you find some witches to work a cloaking spell over you and your nest mates for added protection. Now I must go, child. Be safe and call me again if anything should come up."

I pinched the bridge of my nose and screwed my face up "sure. Yeah, I'll get right on that. Goodbye Bael."

The line went dead a moment later and I leaned forward to rest my forehead against Godric's shoulder. "You heard him I assume" I mumbled.

Godric nodded and wound his arm around me, pulling me into his side. "Eric will know of a coven we can trust. He can take care of it tomorrow night."

"I'm glad we cleared that up" Anthony smirked from the other side of the room. "Now that I know where you are, I'll come back tomorrow...say, three o'clock? We can figure out a gameplan then, alright cousin?"

It felt odd, this man i had never met calling me his cousin. I wasn't even sure he technically was my cousin. Bael hadn't really said he and the other demon were related. But they were like family. Did demons have family like that? Or were they all just there? I was going to make a list of questions one of these days. Then i would sit every supernatural being in my life down and we'd work through it all. Maybe after that I would stop being surprised every time something new popped up.

"Yeah, that sounds great Anthony. It was nice to meet you" I sighed, lifting my head off of Godrics shoulder to smile at him.

"A pleasure, dear cousin. And you as well vampire. Enjoy what remains of the night." He had hardly finished his sentence before he was suddenly gone.

It was a jarring experience and I was suddenly glad Bael had the consideration to at least walk out of the room before he disappeared.

"Why can't I do that?" I grumbled against Godric.

He chuckled and tightened his arm around me for a moment. "Perhaps you will, with a little help from your...cousin."

I shook my head "I don't even want to start thinking about what this means. Let's just focus on tonight."

Godric massaged his hand against the base of my neck soothingly and nodded. "Of course, lover. It has been a long night."

"You need blood, right? You aren't healing. Do you still want to..?" i trailed off, suddenly unsure of myself.

Godric's hand cupped my cheek, bringing me back to look at him "there is nothing I want more than for you to be my bonded Alyssa. If that is still your desire."

My cheeks turned bright red but I couldn't help the smile that took over my face at his words. It felt like it had been forever, that i had been waiting for that. I eagerly pressed a kiss to his lips.

We lay in bed together afterwards, curled tightly together. I couldn't help but marvel at the renewed sense of him in my mind. It felt different then, now that it was a bond. It felt more like an open connection between us than just a sense of his emotions. I could send emotions to him, but I could also feel Godric's emotions flowing over me. His hand stroked up and down my arm and I snuggled closer to his side, humming in appreciation. The physical contact set our bond on fire, making me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Part of it had to do as well with the feelings I was getting from him. He was happy, content, in awe of our bond, and there was something underneath that I couldn't name. It was deep and warm and inviting.

I wanted to ask him about it, but it was like an undercurrent to his other emotions so I didn't even know if it was something he was aware of. I didn't know how to explain it either. So I kept my mouth shut and nuzzled into his shoulder.

Godric's lips dropped kisses onto the top of my head every couple of minutes. I could tell he was as lost in exploring our new bond as much as I was. I was content to just lay with him anyway. After thinking I was going to lose him a short couple of hours ago, I was just happy to have him by my side again.

I drifted off shortly before the sun rose for the day, blissfully at peace for what felt like the first time in ages. I could only hope it was going to last a while longer this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the longer space between chapters! And that this one is a bit shorter than the chapters I've been writing lately. I swear I rewrote this chapter like, 80 times before I got it to a place I'm ok with. You'll notice I glossed over them bonding for the first time. I'm really sorry if anyone is particularly disappointed. But it made this chapter way too long plus sex has turned into the focal point of many a chapter but that's not what I wanted for this one. So I'll include the next ones for sure because they will be more important. Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter and the new developments! Let me know what you think! I always love hearing from you! What do you think of Anthony?


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Please enjoy chapter 22. If you notice a massive improvement to my writing, you can go ahead and thank Fundamental Blue as she has beta-ed this chapter. As per the usual let me know what you think. I love to hear your opinions and anything you think about the chapter, the story itself, or the characters!
> 
> I've been thinking of maybe taking a slight detour from the main story line to check in on some of the other characters in the story. Namely Sookie and Eric. Would anyone be interested in reading a chapter centered around them?

I woke up late the next day, stretching my limbs with a groan. Part of me wanted nothing more than to simply roll over and bury my face in a pillow until nightfall. With the way things were going it seemed like every time I got out of bed something happened to screw up my good mood. Everything was so peaceful in Godric's quiet bedroom. I had even gotten used to waking up next to someone who was for all intents and purposes dead.

But, I also knew Anthony was going to show up at some point in the day and I would need to be ready for it. So I pulled myself out of bed and made my way to the bathroom. The hot water felt like heaven on my skin and I ended up staying under the spray for much longer than I had meant to. After I towelled off, I quickly braided my still wet hair down my back. I couldn't be bothered to dry it and the braids would mean my curls would be less messy than they could sometimes be.

When I stepped back into the bedroom, the clock on the nightstand caught my attention. It was already quarter after two. That meant I had less than an hour to get myself together to meet with Anthony. With a groan I quickly pulled on a pair of leggings and a baggy top that hung past my butt.

My stomach growled as I dressed, so I quickly made my way downstairs and into the kitchen. I had to hunt around a bit in search of something to eat. I wasn't in the mood to actually make anything so I was hoping for something easy. The sight of a frozen pizza in the freezer was a small blessing. I puttered around the kitchen as the oven heated up, doing up the small pile of dishes that had gathered in the sink. Once the oven was at the proper temperature it was a short, though impatient, wait as the pizza cooked. The smell of it filled the room and had my stomach growling hungrily. When the timer dinged and I pulled it out, the sight of melting cheese and crispy pepperoni had my mouth watering. I quickly cut a large piece and left the rest to cool on the counter. It would make good leftovers for the next couple days.

As per the usual Evan was already up. I wondered what she did all morning while the rest of us slept the day away. She was sitting in the living room, a laptop balanced on her lap. It was definitely not ours since our computer was an old piece of shit. The laptop she was using was sleek and shiny. It looked very new.

"Where did you get that?" I asked, flopping onto the couch beside her.

Evan looked over at me and curled her nose as she watched me eat. I knew she thought the way I ate pizza was weird, but it really was the best way. Sure pizza as a whole was an amazing food. But the melted cheese and pepperoni was the best part. Why spoil such a delicious combination with dough and pizza sauce? So I dissected my slices, eating the toppings first before biting into the bread and sauce left over.

"Pam let me borrow it. She came in pretty close to sunrise. It woke me up so I came down to check on her. I asked before she went to sleep if there was a computer I could use," Evan explained.

I hummed in response. Pam and her seemed to get along pretty well. Not that they spent a whole lot of time together. Evan still kept as normal hours as she could. But the two women seemed to like each other when they were together. I wondered if it was because otherwise they were alone in a house of two other couples. But I hoped not. Pam seemed like a good person though I didn't know her as well as I thought I probably should at that point. And Evan really didn't have many friends. I would have to wait and see if it was genuine though when we weren't all under the same roof. Would Pam visit her otherwise? Would Evan seek out Pam?

I still wasn't sure where I would fit into the new arrangement, and I pushed that thought from my mind.

"What are you up to?" I asked, peeking at the screen.

Evan shrugged, her cheeks tinging pink. "I'm just messing around. Nothing important." But I had finally managed a look at the screen. Evan was looking at universities. My stomach twisted uncomfortably. On the one hand I was ecstatic about the idea. Evan deserved a good life and she couldn't stay at her job forever. But on the other hand we really didn't have any money. How could we afford to put Evan through school? It made me anxious just thinking about covering tuition and her books. We'd probably have to move closer to the university. We were on the other side of town as it was. Rent was more expensive there and if Evan wasn't working as many hours she wouldn't be able to help with the bills as much. I would have to pick up more hours and schedule more photo shoots. Which reminded me that I had one scheduled for the next day and I would need to get my gear from the apartment before then.

"I know we can't really afford it, Aly. It's fine. I was just curious and bored. I thought maybe they had grants and stuff for people in our situation ya know?" Evan mumbled, clearly embarrassed.

I shook my head "no, Ev. You should go to school. If you know what you want to do, we'll figure out how to make that work" I found myself reassuring her, though I really had no idea how we were going to do that.

Yet seeing Evan's face light up was enough for me to know I'd have to figure it out.

"Really? Are you sure? I can apply for scholarships and they have financial advisors that can help too."

I shrugged "yeah, good. You should talk to them and I'll see if we can get a loan or something too."

Evan bit her lip, eyes trained on the screen in front of her. The mouse hovered over the 'apply online' button. I reached over and easily clicked on it for her before she could start to second guess herself.

"What are you going to apply for anyway?" I asked, watching her fill in the information.

Evan sighed, "social work I think. I want to help kids in situations like ours." I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face. I was so proud of Evan. She was such a strong, smart woman. I don't know how she had managed to come out of our childhood so well. Sure, I had managed too, but Evan walked tall, confident and strong for the both of us. I had done my best when we were little to keep her out of the worst of it. But there hadn't been anything I could do for the steady stream of verbal abuse our father had maintained for most of our childhood. It had been a long time before either of us had been able to move past what had happened to us. Evan was going to make something of herself though. Of that I was sure. She would be able to help children in similar circumstances persevere. She was going to make a difference in the world.

I was brought out of my proud mental rambling by a light knock on the door. Evan looked confused and not just a little bit worried. I realized she had been asleep the night before when Anthony had come into the house. I pat her shoulder easily as I got up to answer the door, a quick attempt at easing her fears. If Evan knew I was expecting someone then she wouldn't have to be too worried about who it could be.

I let the door swing open and smiled politely at Anthony. "Come on in," I made a sweeping gesture with my arm and stepped back.

Anthony was dressed in a similar fashion to the previous night, with worn jeans and a faded t-shirt that had some sort of logo on it. He toed off biker boots that he hadn't tied and shrugged himself out of a leather jacket, draping it carelessly over the railing of the stairs.

I led him back into the living room more so I could ease Evan's curiosity than any particular desire for them to meet. I would prefer to shield Evan from any more potential danger and the more she was involved with the supernatural world, let alone demons who openly professed that trouble was coming, the better.

Evan's eyebrows rose and her mouth popped open at the sight of the tall figure behind me. Her eyes flicked over to me, questions swirling rapidly in them. She seemed to remember herself a moment later and forced a more polite expression on her face.

"Evan, this is Anthony...my cousin I guess," I explained uneasily. Cousin still seemed a strange concept. Even more so in the light of day. Bael had always made it seem like demons didn't keep track of their relations. So either 'cousin' meant a close family friend, like you might call your parent's friend an 'aunt' or 'uncle', or for some reason Bael had kept particular track of his familial ties to Anthony and his mother.

"Anthony this is my sister Evan." Anthony swooped forward and held his hand out to Evan. She placed hers in his own, his long fingers making hers look childishly small. I raised an eyebrow in surprise when he bent over her hand in a dramatic bow.

"A pleasure to meet you, Evan. Will you be joining us for Alyssa's training?" Anthony asked as he straightened up.

Evan had flushed a warm pink and she had to try several times before she found the words to speak.

"I'll come watch, if you don't mind Aly." I shrugged. Having Evan around always made me feel better and I could hope it would make things less awkward between Anthony and I. I didn't know what to say to the man, or what to think.

Anthony seemed satisfied with her answer and asked that we go to the back yard. He wanted to be able to test what abilities I had already developed and see where I needed work before we started testing for other abilities.

Evan settled into the thick grass and called out encouragements as Anthony had me lift various things with my mind. We started small, using items I knew I could move and then moved on to larger objects.

"It's like any muscle, cousin. You have to keep using it and it will get stronger and stronger," Anthony encouraged.

I hadn't noticed but Sookie had stepped out into the back yard at some point in the afternoon and had settled down with Evan to watch us. They were chatting with each other and I tried to catch what they were saying, but the majority of my concentration was being taken up by my lesson. The more time I spent with Anthony, the more questions I had. I knew there was a lot he wanted to get done and he seemed like he was in a bit of a rush to do so. But I wanted to make sure I got the chance to ask him a few things.

Anthony made me feel uneasy. Even though Bael had given him the thumbs up and Godric had allowed him to come into the nest despite how unsure I knew he was, I didn't trust him any further than I could throw him, physically or otherwise.

I called for a break a short time after.

"I know we haven't moved much, but I am absolutely drained. Can we take a break for today?" I asked, though I didn't wait for his response before I walked over to flop onto the lawn beside Evan. Anthony shrugged and moved to join us.

"It can be taxing at first. It will get easier the more experience you have."

I nodded to show I was listening and threw my arm over my eyes. It was late in the afternoon but the sun was streaming down bathing us all in a bright, warm light.

Anthony took the initiative to introduce himself to Sookie, whom he had ended up sitting beside. She was the polite southern bell she always seemed to be and if she was as surprised by Anthony kissing the back of her hand, she hid it well.

"So Anthony, you're half demon right? But when Bael met me he said we were pretty rare," I voiced after a long stretch of silence.

Anthony hummed in agreement.

"We are fairly uncommon. Demons do not interact with humans in a romantic fashion often. It is even less common for those unions to bear young. You are the only other half blood I know of that knows from which demon they came."

"Why is that?" Sookie questioned, "does no one take a look at the half demons parents and remember sleeping with them?"

Anthony let out a short laugh, "it is as you say Sookie. Many demons do not pay much mind to the humans they have had relations with. Do you think your vampire could point out every human he has slept with?"

Sookie's grumbled "probably" was almost low enough to miss but I caught it anyway and had to bite back a laugh.

Anthony knew better than to comment any further and returned to answering the original question "Bael cared a great deal for your mother, as my mother cared a great deal for the man who sired me," Anthony explained.

I snorted, "too bad he didn't stick around, right Ev?"

Evan's laugh was humourless, "even a demon would have been better than dad."

It had become something Evan and I were, on some degree, able to joke about. At least with each other. But rather than put Sookie and Anthony in the somewhat awkward position of figuring out how to respond to our joking, I moved onto another question on my list.

"Is it because your mother is a demon that you have...well, horns?" I asked, hoping I wouldn't be offending Anthony.

He shook his head, "not necessarily. There are other half demons with more physical manifestations of their heritage. They are usually the ones recognized as being partially demon, though horns are exceptionally rare. Usually it is in the eyes or the pallor of the skin that one is seen as other. I am a rarity among rarities in that my heritage has manifested in a very physical sense," Anthony explained, making a motion to encompass his whole body, a smirk on his face that said he was most definitely not insecure of his appearance.

"Part of that may be due to the early age in which I was brought to Sheol- the realm of the demons."

"How old are you?" Evan asked curiously, cocking her head to the side as she looked at him.

Anthony quirked an eyebrow at her, "don't you know its rude to ask someone their age?" He teased.

Evan rolled her eyes at him, "that's just old women. Are you an old woman?"

Anthony chuckled and shook his head, "fair point. I was born sometime in the 1800s. Time moves slower in Sheol so I cannot say for sure. I am, physically, perhaps 23?" His voice was unsure as he guessed his age. It seemed like a reasonable guess, I considered it as I looked him over. He was young looking certainly, but not in a way that I would suspect him to be a teenager. Nor did he have a particularly mature look about him, if you ignored the dignified, graceful way he carried himself. Sprawled out in the grass as he was I could picture him with a beer in hand, having a barbecue or something with a bunch of college kids.

Evan seemed satisfied with the answer at any rate. Anthony in turn began asking Evan questions. He seemed to know a great deal about me from Bael and it made me wonder how much the demon really talked about me. Was he like a proud father, whipping out pictures every time someone vaguely mentioned children? Or was it just because Anthony was another half blood like me, and was close to Bael? Part of me wanted to ask but the other part of me wasn't sure how I would feel if it was just that Bael was a proud father. So I kept my mouth shut and let Evan go on about our lives and her new excitement over applying for school. Sookie seemed just as excited for her, offering us both any help she could in getting Evan into school. Maybe, like me, Sookie wanted Evan to make something more of her life than being like her. I knew Sookie wasn't ashamed of her job, nor was I, but it was one thing to be happy with what you had and another to wish it on someone else. Either way, it made me happy to know someone else was supportive of my sister. We could use all the family and support we could get.

"What about you and Eric?" I didn't know what had turned the conversation in that direction, but Anthony's question piqued my interest.

It was obvious the two of them had become...something over the past several weeks. She had, after all, been staying in Eric's room since this whole ordeal had started. There was no way Eric had failed to convince her to sleep with him by then. Sure Sookie was a strong willed, independent woman. But she had feelings for Eric whether she would admit it or not. Add to that the charm and seductive persuasion of a determined Eric, and she was done for. Not to mention Eric had literally carried her, wrapped around him, to their room when he had come back from the tribunal.

I looked over to see Sookie blushing and biting her lip shyly, "it's really nothing. This is Eric we're talking about."

I couldn't help but to snort at her words, "Eric would give you the moon, if you asked for it Sookie. The boy is practically drooling at your feet."

Sookie out right laughed at me, she shook her head sending blond locks swirling from her face. "Don't be silly. Eric is all talk. He'll do anything to get a woman in bed and he loves a challenge."

Evan easily jumped on my side. We had been waiting on the two of them to get together ever since Evan had met them. Anyone who saw them in the same room would have a hard time denying the connection between them. Anyone except Sookie, apparently.

"Right. So Eric just rounded up every woman he wanted to sleep with when this whole Nathaniel thing went down? I don't think so. Nathaniel was going to target the people Eric and Godric cared about the most and you were the only person Eric brought here. God, even that Ginger chick was left to fend for herself."

Sookie shook her head again, "it's Eric. He doesn't do commitment and he knows that's what I would want."

I pursed my lips at her. For someone who could read minds she was awfully thick sometimes.

"If he just wants in your pants, why hasn't he brought you back to Bon Temps? 'Cause I know you two have slept together by now."

I could see Sookie trying to find some way to deny that Eric had feelings for her. She was trying to convince herself that there was no way someone like Eric would want to be with someone like her. The whole situation felt very familiar and I cursed myself for ever being as deep in denial about Godric as Sookie was about Eric. At least Godric had gone about pushing me away at one point or another. Eric was shamelessly after her from the time the sun went down to the time he died for the day.

"It sounds like you need to have a conversation with the viking," Anthony supplied. I had all but forgotten he was there, having been caught up in the conversation, "sometimes it is best for both parties to be blunt and open, leaving no room for miscommunication."

I couldn't help but nod in agreement. Anthony was completely right. If Sookie didn't lay it out for Eric and get his response one way or another she probably wouldn't ever believe that he actually wanted to be with her rather than just getting in her pants.

Sookie groaned and scrubbed a delicate hand down her face.

"He's just so hard to have a conversation with. He gets this look in his eyes and I lose my train of thought."

None of us could hold back the amused chuckles at her comment. Sookie had it bad. I could only hope Eric wouldn't be an insensitive prick about it. He had come a long way in how sensitive he would be with us so I had my fingers crossed that he wouldn't revert back to being a cocky ass hole when he was forced to discuss his feelings with her.

The sun was beginning to set by the time we stopped talking about Sookie's impending confession. Anthony excused himself, asking that I tell Godric he sent his regards. He disappeared from the yard a moment later. It was a very disorienting sensation and the first thing I wanted him to teach me. I could just imagine how handy that would be.

I knew Godric rose just before sunset so I excused myself from Sookie and Evan to go find him. It was nice being with him when he rose for the evening. I liked being able to watch him suddenly come alive and with the start of a bond between us, I got to physically experience it as well.

Part of me was eager to bond again and see what new sensations would come with it, but another part of me wanted the time to explore the bond as it was before we added more to it. I couldn't make up my mind. There were too many factors to know for sure what was the right decision.

I had just walked through the bedroom door, a soft smile on my face at the sight of him sprawled out in the bed when our bond jumped to life. Godric's eyes opened and landed on me standing just inside the room. The corners of his lips tilted up and he held out a hand to me.

"Love, why aren't you in bed with me?" he groaned.

The smile on my face broadened and I crossed the room to crawl into bed with him. His arms enveloped me and he nuzzled into the side of my neck. I carded my hands through his hair and pressed a kiss into his temple, contentment sweeping through me from the bond.

"You're always here when I rise. How do you do that?" Godric hummed into my skin.

I shook my head and shrugged, "you always wake up just before the sun actually sets. It's pretty easy to come up around that time."

Godric didn't respond, only nuzzled closer into me. "How was your meeting with Anthony?" he asked several minutes later.

I shrugged against him, "it was good. It took a lot out of me, honestly. It feels like I'm really out of shape or something. Anthony seems nice enough. He seems to think there's a lot to teach me. He sends his regards by the way."

Godric huffed against my skin, "I am glad you had a good afternoon. I know Bael spoke for him, but I did not like the idea of him being with you when I am dead for the day. If something had gone wrong..." Godric trailed off grimly.

I nodded against him "I know. Bael said he can be trusted but that doesn't mean I do."

Godric seemed glad that I didn't automatically trust him. We laid contentedly in the bed for a while longer before Godric finally decided he should get up. I stayed in the bed while he got dressed then followed him as we made our way down into the rest of the house. The rest of our nest were there crowded around the island. Evan and Sookie had made food and Evan wordlessly handed me a plate. I smiled my thanks and dug in, a stir fry with chicken and vegetables. The vampires seamlessly fell into talking about business and the club.

Eric insisted that they needed to start making appearances at Fangtasia again. I could understand where he was coming from. Eric had a business to run and part of his business had to do with impressing the people that came to Fangtasia. Sookie shifted uncomfortably and I wondered if it was about going to the club with him or if it had more to do with the idea of Eric sitting on his throne getting propositioned by the patrons all night long.

Godric's arm fell around my shoulder and he pressed a kiss to my cheek, "you'll come along, little one?"

I agreed easily before I realized that Evan would be left in the house by herself all night. Sookie had already agreed to go even though she was technically going to be working. It had been a long time since she had sat down at Fangtasia and scanned the other human employees. There weren't many but Eric liked for her to check in on them every couple weeks. Not to mention she had proved time and again how useful having a telepath around was. She had pointed out a handful of drainers and undercover cops to Eric. It made everything much easier for him to run when he was able to find any problems before they even happened.

Evan, though, seemed relieved at the thought of having the house to herself. "I'm going to take a nice long bath and watch Netflix or something all night. It's been awhile since I've actually had alone time at a reasonable hour."

I couldn't blame her. One of the perks of me working at a bar was that she generally had a couple hours to herself in the morning and in the evening when I was sleeping or working. Lately though, the entire night was taken up by vampires and she ended up going to bed later. Sookie, despite keeping a vampire's hours was an early riser which meant Evan at most got a couple hours in the morning to do her own thing.

We were out the door shortly after, splitting up into a couple of expensive looking sports cars. I glanced back at the house a final time as we left, hoping Evan enjoyed having the whole house to herself.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know why I expect any different of myself. But I'm still very sorry that this took me a whole month to update. For some reason this chapter was very difficult for me to write. I can't count how many times it was completely rewritten because I couldn't get it right. A big thanks to the wonderful Fundamental Blue for Beta-ing this chapter. As always I hope you enjoy and look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Evan felt like she could breath a little easier as she watched the cars pull out of the driveway. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to spend time with them. Alyssa was her sister, the only constant in her life. And by proxy, the vampires and Sookie had become like family to her.   
But she could use a break from the constant string of new stressors. She was very much looking forward to a peaceful bubble bath in the huge bathtub they had. So as soon as the vehicles were out of sight she grabbed the portable speakers she had found in the kitchen and made her way up the stairs. 

Music pumped through the house as she watched warm water and bubbles fill up the tub. Evan soon found herself surrounded by blissfully warm water and lavender scented bubbles. It was like she could actually feel the stress melting away. The knots that had been forming between her shoulder blades eased and she tilted her head back against the cool rim of the tub with a happy sigh.

By the time Evan pulled herself out of the water, it had gone cold and her fingers and toes had turned to prunes. She wrapped herself in one of the impossibly fluffy towels from the linen closet and secured her wet hair to the back of her head with a clip. She grabbed a glass of cold water from the kitchen and sipped at it while she searched for a clean pair of pajamas. She really needed to do laundry, she realized. It was one of those things that tended to get pushed to the side in the face of problems like her sister seemed to be encountering lately. Evan had just pulled a baggy t-shirt over her head when someone cleared their throat. She felt her heart hammer against her ribs as she spun quickly to face the source of the sound. 

Anthony was standing in the doorway, a sheepish expression on his face. “My profound apologies Evan. I did not mean to interrupt you like this.” 

Evan blushed beet red and hastily pulled on a pair of shorts. “You couldn’t have knocked or something like a normal person?” She demanded. 

Anthony looked away, although it was much too late to make any real difference “It didn’t occur to me that anyone would be…indecent. You are the only one here?”

Evan huffed indignantly, “obviously. Everyone went to Fangtasia, if you’re looking for my sister.”

Anthony pushed a hand through his hair, clearly feeling flustered “not particularly. I just thought I would stop in and take the opportunity to get to know Alyssa’s companions. Bael mentioned how attached Alyssa is to them.”

She wasn’t sure what to think of Anthony. Here he was, just showing up on their doorstep to help her sister master her abilities and now he was randomly appearing in the house for a social call? Maybe, she considered, he was just lonely? Or maybe he was just trying to be friendly. Anyone could tell that the vampires were wary of Anthony and it wasn’t like Bael and Godric had been very receptive of each other. Evan mentally nodded to herself. That had to be it. He just wanted to get on Godric’s good side so there would be less cause for friction in the little pseudo-family they had going.

“Well like I said, they’re at Fangtasia tonight. I’m just going to lay about and watch netflix,” Evan explained after a moment. 

Anthony perked up at the mention. “Netflix? I have heard of this. Would you….would you show it to me? If you aren’t opposed to my company.”

Evan sighed, her peaceful night of solitude quickly disappearing. She was tempted to tell him that she did want to just spend the night by herself. But he had such a hopeful look in his eyes, like a puppy about to get a treat. And really, who didn’t know what netflix was? “No, it’s fine. Come on. I’m going to make some popcorn first.” 

So Evan found herself curled up on one end of the couch, her sisters half demon cousin sitting on the other end, a bowl of popcorn between them. She quickly explained the concept of netflix to him before setting it up to watch one of her favorite shows, Pretty Little Liars. Anthony seemed baffled by her choice in content, though she wasn’t sure if it was because he didn’t know what was going on in that episode or if it had more to do with disliking to concept of the show altogether. She brushed it off though. He had wanted to watch netflix with her so he was going to have to put up with her choices. 

He asked questions about the show every few minutes and she tried to keep herself from being irritated by them. If he would just keep quiet and watch, half of his questions would have been answered. It was one of those pet peeves that slowly ate away at a good mood. She forced herself to take a couple of deep breaths and reminded herself that he wasn't being intentionally annoying. If she kept telling herself as much maybe she would stop being irritated. 

“Is this a show you and Alyssa both enjoy?” Anthony question as Evan put on another episode. 

She shook her head with a laugh. “Aly hates this show. Teen dramas aren’t her thing at all. She’s more a crime dramas, superhero kind of girl. Absolutely loves Gotham.”

At Anthony’s blank stare she launched into a quick explanation of Gotham, batman, and the marvel versus DC debate. Anthony seemed very confused by the whole thing. Evan shrugged when she realized she wasn’t getting any closer to explaining the whole thing to him and suggested he ask Alyssa about it instead. Evan had probably left him with more questions than answers and Alyssa was usually more than happy to launch into the finer points of superheroes. 

Anthony was quiet for sometime before he spoke again. “You and your sister are very close, yes? Closer than most siblings, it seems.”  
Evan nodded easily in response, “we’ve been all each other has had for as long as I can remember. It's always been us against the world. I guess you’re right. Most people aren’t that close with their siblings at our age.”

Anthony hummed in reply and turned back to the show. His next question addressed the episode and Evan was more than happy to turn her attention back to her favorite show. He would occasionally steer the conversation back to Alyssa but they were simple questions; what did Alyssa like to do? Where had they grown up? What was her thoughts on one event or another? Evan answered as easily as if he were asking for her opinions rather than her sisters. She could usually see where he had gotten the questions from, something would happen in the show and it would prompt a question from Anthony. 

“You’ve been asking lots of questions about Aly and I but I still hardly know anything about you,” Evan observed after a particularly long string of questions.

Anthony shrugged and made a sweeping gesture with his hands in invitation. “Ask me anything” he offered. 

Evan thought it over for a moment “what was your childhood like?”

Anthony’s face twitched up in the corners. “Unconventional.” He summarized at Evan’s searching look, then continued, “I was born in Sheol, which is a place I do not have the words to describe accurately. It has a harsh sort of beauty, this world seems hazy and out of focus in comparison.

“I spent the first several years of my life there, underfoot of the great demons my mother surrounded herself with. She is not particularly powerful- like Alyssa’s father- but she is cunning and has a way about convincing people of her will.” Anthony’s expression was strange as he spoke about his mother, almost as if he was in pain at the thought of her. It was a look Evan couldn’t decipher. She thought to ask him about it. Why did his mother make him so uncomfortable? What had she done? But he had barrelled ahead and her chance was gone.

“When I was perhaps ten or so, mother sent me to meet my father. I do not blend in easily but there are demons who can work a sort of...cloaking. Mother found one and had them disguise me so I could move amongst humans undeterred. My father had since started a family with a delicate looking young woman. She did not take kindly to her husband’s bastard son living amongst her own children. But Father would hear nothing of it. I stayed there until I was an adult and then returned to Sheol.”

Evan took a moment to process the information swirling through her head. She had so many questions bouncing around she hardly knew where to start. Mostly, she wanted to know about Sheol. What did it look like? How different was it than the world around her? And then, what was the time he had grown up in like? He had been able to watch the world change so much over his years. The sheer amount of knowledge he must have flummoxed her.   
Anthony allowed her to ask several questions and she listened with rapt attention as he described what the world had been like two hundred years ago. 

A stifled yawn cut her off mid question and Anthony chuckled at her. “Perhaps it would be best to continue our discussion another day?” He offered. 

Evan pouted in disappointment. Despite how strange he had seemed and how much she had been looking forward to a night to herself, she had enjoyed his company. With a huff, she shut netflix off and stood from the couch to stretch. A long yawn as the credits rolled on the episode had Evan shutting netflix off. She stood from the couch to stretch before turning to Anthony. 

“I enjoyed getting better acquainted with you, Evan. I will have to return another night in order to speak with the vampires so I do not keep you awake unduly.” Anthony stood from the couch and executed an elegant, if half hearted bow before turning on his heel and walking out of the room. Mid-step he disappeared with a faint ‘pop'. 

It was unnerving to say the least. Evan didn’t know if she could ever get used to the sudden disappearance that demons seemed to be so fond of. She wondered idly if Alyssa would pick up the habit from spending time with her father and cousin. 

With a sigh Evan gathered her things from around the room and headed up to her bedroom. She would have to tell her sister about Anthony’s visit. She still wasn’t sure what to make of the man. 

\----

Anthony could feel the presence of demons in the forest outside of the vampires nest as soon as he stepped out of the house. He scowled towards the trees and stalked towards where he could sense the nearest demon. He scowled at the demon in front of him, the other demons converging around him. It made his stomach twist painfully to be surrounded by them but he refused to let it show. 

“What are you doing here?” he demanded. 

“We have come to see your progress,” one of the demons behind him spoke, his voice like the lashing of a whip. Anthony shook off the chills that threatened to run down his spine and give away his unease.

“The vampires will smell that you were here.” He argued, spinning to face the one he thought had spoken. “You should have waited until I summoned you.” 

“Do not tell us what to do, mutt.” A demon to his left snarled, flashing sharp fangs at him.   
Anthony flinched back against his will. 

“I’m just saying, if they know there’s other demons around, they’ll get suspicious. They already mistrust me. I need to get close to the humans first if there's any chance of this working.” There was a snort to Anthony’s right that had him spinning to face the demon. 

“I still say we just grab her now and hold her until the new moon.” His idea was quickly shot down. 

“We’ve been over this Rathiel, she needs to be stronger if it’s going to work. She needs to be prepared, and to have more of her vampires blood,” another argued. 

“Just drain her vampire and force feed it to her.” One shrugged as if he was discussing the weather. 

They went on like that, bantering back and forth as they surrounded Anthony. He might as well have not been there. Anthony would have rathered it in fact. But there was no escaping the circle around him. They would sense any attempt to use his powers and could easily crush him. They had done it several times in the past. So Anthony did his best to look quiet and unassuming, hoping they really would just forget he was ever there. 

“We’ve argued this a thousand times. The half breed bitch has to be willing and her powers are too weak as they are. We will stick to the plan.” The commanding voice came from behind him and Anthony flinched away from the speaker. Garrett was cruel even for a demon. He wanted as little to do with him as possible. 

The other demons muttered unhappily but none spoke against him. Anthony thought he was finally in the clear when a clawed hand wrapped around his throat and yanked him back. He nearly fell against the figure behind him and was forced to flail helplessly to regain his footing. Sharp claws pressed into the soft skin of his neck, drawing blood. 

“Now Anthony.” The voice of the demon behind him, Reemus, snarled in his ear “I know you fancy yourself a hero. But don’t forget where you came from in the face of a pretty girl. This is very important, and I won't have you fucking things up like you usually do.”

Anthony nodded hastily- as much as he could while trying not to injure himself further, “yes, yes, of course Reemus. I swear I won't screw up this time.”

He was shoved easily away a moment later. Anthony immediately brought a hand to his throat to assess the damage. Three long gashes circled his neck. Not deep enough to cause any real damage. But it hurt and blood flowed easily down his neck and onto his shirt. 

“See that you don’t.” Garrett warned, his voice ominous. 

A moment later there was the familiar ‘pop’ of demons teleporting. When Anthony looked up he was completely alone in the forest. He worried briefly about what he was going to tell the vampires if they asked about all the strange demon smells around their nest. They would be suspicious no doubt. 

He shook his head, the sun would be coming up soon and that would mean the vampires returning to their nest. He wasn’t ready to come up with an explanation yet nor would he be able to explain the blood covering his front. 

With that thought in mind he quickly teleported himself to the abandoned house on the other side of town he was staying in.


End file.
